Published Jul 2, 2026, 11:45 AM EDT
Joshua Edward Ryan Fox is a freelance writer for Screen Rant with a passion for pop culture. Joshua grew up in Connecticut where he developed an appreciation for writing and entertainment and has earned a Master’s degree in professional writing and technical writing. His writing has been quoted by both the anime streaming site Crunchyroll and the anime YouTuber Gigguk.
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25 years ago, One Piece made the claim that there were only five Devil Fruits that granted someone the power of flight, and for 25 years, fans have constantly gone on about how that statement didn’t make any sense. Pell from the Alabasta arc made the claim in reference to his Zoan Devil Fruit, but even among Zoans, there are far more than five types of Zoans capable of flight, and when Paramecias and Logias are thrown into the mix, it’s even harder to make sense of it in any way.
Pell’s statement about there only being five Devil Fruits with the power of flight is one of the most confusing in all of One Piece, and for decades, people have tried and failed to wrap their heads around it, only for every possible explanation to circle back to the fact that there simply isn’t a good answer for it. At long last, though, Eiichiro Oda has finally addressed the issue and offered a concrete explanation, and it’s nothing but brilliant in every regard.
One Piece volume #115 has just been released in Japan, and in the volume’s SBS, Eiichiro Oda finally addressed the logic behind Pell saying that there were only five Devil Fruits with the power of flight. According to Oda, Pell was just ignorant of how many Devil Fruits there were in the world, so the statement was based on his limited knowledge; most One Piece characters don’t involve themselves in the affairs of islands outside of their own, so it makes perfect sense for Pell to simply not know everything.
Surprisingly, there was also a meta explanation for the line. Flying powers, as far as Eiichiro Oda is concerned, heavily clash with how the One Piece manga is a manga about pirates, so he wanted to make sure that flight was a rare ability in the world of One Piece, and to do that, he wrote Pell’s line to serve as a reminder to himself not to go overboard with flying abilities, and 25 years later, the series has remained consistent on that front with how few characters can use genuine flight.
For years, One Piece seemed to have subtly retconned a major piece of Devil Fruit, but at long last, chapter #1186 has fixed the problem.
While many characters with the power of flight have been introduced over the years, most of them can only do it through a clever application of their Devil Fruits, and even Shiki, one of the first characters who could harness unassisted flight, was something Eiichiro Oda hesitated with because of how much it clashed with his ideals. Overall, the meta reasoning behind Pell’s dialogue has remained surprisingly sound, and it’s great to have an answer for it after so many years.
One Piece finally explaining its most confusing Devil Fruit lore is great, and it perfectly highlights how incredible One Piece’s worldbuilding is. For years, One Piece has been praised for the depth of thought in its world’s inner machinations, with both its interconnectedness and occasional bits of ignorance grounded in logic and never feeling random. Pell’s lack of knowledge about Devil Fruits perfectly plays into that, and seeing it confirmed only further leans into the manga’s great writing.
Interactive Quiz
Grand Line · Pirate Adventure Edition The One PieceAnime Quiz
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QUESTION 1 / 8CREW
Monkey D. Luffy is the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates and dreams of becoming King of the Pirates. He gained his signature stretching abilities by eating a Devil Fruit as a child. What was this fruit originally believed to be called?
AMera Mera no Mi BGomu Gomu no Mi CBara Bara no Mi DHana Hana no Mi
✓ Correct! The Gomu Gomu no Mi (Gum-Gum Fruit) was what Luffy’s Devil Fruit was believed to be — a Paramecia-type fruit that turned his body into rubber. Luffy accidentally ate it from the treasure chest of the Red Hair Pirates when he was a child in Foosha Village. ✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is the Gomu Gomu no Mi. The Mera Mera no Mi is the Flame-Flame Fruit eaten by Ace, the Bara Bara no Mi is Buggy’s Chop-Chop Fruit, and the Hana Hana no Mi is Robin’s Flower-Flower Fruit.
QUESTION 2 / 8WORLD
The One Piece world is divided by a massive geological formation that runs around the entire globe, separating the oceans. What is this continent-like structure called?
AThe Grand Line DReverse Mountain
✓ Correct! The Red Line is a massive continent that circles the globe vertically, dividing the world’s oceans into four seas: North Blue, South Blue, East Blue, and West Blue. It intersects with the Grand Line at two points, including the holy land of Mary Geoise. ✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is the Red Line. The Grand Line is the ocean route where pirates compete, the Calm Belt is a windless sea surrounding it full of Sea Kings, and Reverse Mountain is the entry point to the Grand Line. The Red Line is the massive continent dividing the world.
QUESTION 3 / 8POWERS
In the One Piece world, there is a spiritual power that allows users to sense others’ presence, predict attacks, and even exert their willpower over others. What is this power called?
✓ Correct! Haki is a mysterious power that exists in every living being in the One Piece world. It comes in three types: Observation Haki (sensing), Armament Haki (invisible armor), and the rare Conqueror’s Haki (dominating willpower), which only one in a million people possess. ✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is Haki. Chakra is the energy system from Naruto, Nen is from Hunter x Hunter, and Ki is from Dragon Ball. Haki is One Piece’s unique power system with three distinct forms: Observation, Armament, and Conqueror’s.
QUESTION 4 / 8VILLAINS
The Seven Warlords of the Sea (Shichibukai) were powerful pirates who worked for the World Government in exchange for pardons. Which of these characters was NOT one of the original Seven Warlords?
ADracule Mihawk CDonquixote Doflamingo
✓ Correct! Kaido was never a Warlord — he was one of the Four Emperors (Yonko), the most powerful pirates ruling the New World. Known as “the Strongest Creature in the World,” Kaido ruled over Wano Country with the Beast Pirates. Mihawk, Crocodile, and Doflamingo were all Warlords. ✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is Kaido. Mihawk (the world’s greatest swordsman), Crocodile (the desert king of Alabasta), and Doflamingo (the Heavenly Demon) were all Warlords. Kaido was a Yonko — an Emperor of the Sea — a rank above the Warlords entirely.
QUESTION 5 / 8ARCS
The Marineford War arc is considered one of the most emotional and pivotal arcs in One Piece. Luffy desperately fought to save someone important to him from execution. Who was Luffy trying to save?
BPortgas D. Ace
✓ Correct! Portgas D. Ace, Luffy’s sworn older brother, was captured by the Marines and sentenced to public execution at Marineford. Luffy broke into Impel Down prison and then stormed Marineford itself in a desperate attempt to save Ace, leading to one of the most heartbreaking moments in anime history. ✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is Portgas D. Ace. Nico Robin was rescued during the Enies Lobby arc, Zoro is rarely in that kind of danger, and Sabo was believed dead at the time. Ace’s execution at Marineford triggered an all-out war between the Whitebeard Pirates and the Marines.
QUESTION 6 / 8CREW
Roronoa Zoro is the first member to join Luffy’s crew and serves as the Straw Hats’ swordsman. He has a unique fighting style. How many swords does Zoro wield in his signature technique?
✓ Correct! Zoro is famous for his Santoryu (Three Sword Style), wielding one sword in each hand and a third in his mouth. This unique fighting style makes him one of the most distinctive swordsmen in all of anime. His dream is to become the world’s greatest swordsman by defeating Dracule Mihawk. ✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is three. Zoro’s signature Santoryu (Three Sword Style) involves wielding one sword in each hand and gripping the third in his mouth. While he can fight with one or two swords, his three-sword technique is his most iconic and powerful combat form.
QUESTION 7 / 8WORLD
The World Government in One Piece is controlled by a mysterious group of individuals who sit at the very top of its power structure, above even the Admirals and the Fleet Admiral. What are they called?
AThe Five Elders (Gorosei) BThe Celestial Dragons CThe Revolutionary Army
✓ Correct! The Five Elders (Gorosei) are the highest-ranking leaders of the World Government, residing in the holy land of Mary Geoise. They command all military and political power, including the authority to order a Buster Call. Their true nature and abilities have only recently been revealed in the series. ✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is the Five Elders (Gorosei). The Celestial Dragons are descendants of the founding kings but don’t rule directly, the Revolutionary Army opposes the government, and the Yonko are pirate emperors outside government control. The Gorosei sit at the absolute top.
QUESTION 8 / 8POWERS
It was revealed that Luffy’s Devil Fruit is not actually the Gomu Gomu no Mi, but a mythical Zoan-type fruit with a much more significant true name. What is the fruit’s real identity?
AHito Hito no Mi, Model: Sun God Nika BTori Tori no Mi, Model: Phoenix CUo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu DInu Inu no Mi, Model: Okuchi no Makami
✓ Correct! The Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Sun God Nika is a Mythical Zoan-type fruit that the World Government had been hunting for 800 years. When Luffy awakened it during the Wano arc, he unlocked Gear 5 — gaining the power of “the most ridiculous ability in the world” with limitless imagination-based combat. ✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Sun God Nika. The Tori Tori no Mi, Model: Phoenix belongs to Marco, the Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu was Kaido’s dragon fruit, and the Inu Inu no Mi, Model: Okuchi no Makami was Yamato’s fruit. Luffy’s true fruit is the legendary Sun God Nika.
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As with most SBS trivia, it’s unclear if Eiichiro Oda truly planned everything out in advance or if he just came up with something to explain an unintended continuity error, but whatever the case, both the in-universe and meta explanation for Pell’s blatantly false statement about Devil Fruits remains a perfect extension of the worldbuilding and a perfect explanation for a confusing piece of One Piece lore. It’s a reveal that captures everything great about One Piece’s writing, and as history shows, it won’t be the last of its kind.
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Video Game(s)
One Piece: Unlimited World Red, One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3, One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4, One Piece: World Seeker, One Piece Odyssey
One Piece: The Movie
First TV Show
Kazuya Nakai, Akemi Okamura, Kappei Yamaguchi, Hiroaki Hirata, Ikue Ôtani, Yuriko Yamaguchi
Character(s)
Monkey D. Luffy, Roronora Zoro, Nami (One Piece), Nico Robin, Usopp (One Piece), Vinsmoke Sanji, Tony Tony Chopper, Franky (One Piece), Jimbei (One Piece)