Mythbusters/Speculations

Another type of myth comes from speculations. Often it is like a game of Chinese Whispers, what one person says as a speculation may end up as being taken as a fact after several people have repeated a popular speculation. After mistranslations and misunderstandings, this is the most common form of myth to rise through the fans of the series. Speculations are easier to kill than rumor based myths because as the series progresses, they are proven as fact or fiction and are rarely discussed again.

Death Buster Call Star
Myth: Buster Call having laser beams.

Fact: Fans just love to make unfounded predictions and hope for the Buster Call to be a huge and scary Death Star like ship, packed with lasers that can blow up an island like how the Death Star blows up Alderaan. Chapter 396 proves this wrong. The Buster Call turns out to be a military operation involving a fleet of World Government ships headed by five Vice Admirals, whose mission is to bombard the island until everything is burned down.

Usopp's Long Nose
Myth: Usopp's nose doubles as a cross-hair, allowing him to be extremely accurate with any projectile weapons.

Fact: There are times when he is facing one way while his slingshot is facing the other way, yet he manages to make a perfect shot anyway. Even with his nose he does not always make a perfect shot (a prime example is at Loguetown where he fires an egg at Mohji and Richie and misses, but it is also raining which could've affected his shot). Usopp's nose has nothing to do with his sniping skills, His nose isn't even that useful for a crosshair if it's not attached to the slingshot. As it is it would only help him look straight, which isn't even helpful if you're looking right at something you're trying to shoot! He's just born with a long nose which apparently is genetic from his mother Banchina. It is most likely a reference to Pinocchio, a wooden boy whose nose got longer each time he lied (remember Usopp likes to lie, a lot).

Brook's Bounty
Myth: Brook's fifty year old bounty became inactive due to his death.

Fact: This speculation was ended in Chapter 600 when Marines compared Brook with his old bounty poster and declared his bounty still active.

Miss Goldenweek and Carue
Myth: I think Carue ate Miss Goldenweek.

Fact: This is so far the oddest, grimmest, and most insane speculation made by few members at the fan board. During the ending of Little Garden arc, Carue was seen charging at Miss Goldenweek. After that she disappeared and Luffy, Usopp and Carue were seen eating Rice Crackers. However many fans tried to find out what happened to Goldenweek and the term "I think Carue ate Miss Goldenweek", "Didn't Carue eat Miss Goldenweek?" came into being. Stranger yet, the Miss Goldenweek section in Wikipedia used to support the claim. In reality, Miss Goldenweek has her own Side Story during the early Enies Lobby arc, she was shown alive and living in a Wax House with Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine.

D Means...
1. Myth: Dragon appeared in Loguetown and Luffy was able to hear the dragon talking in the Apis Arc. The D must mean DRAGON.

Fact: The Apis arc (otherwise known as the Warship Island Arc) was not canon. Therefore everything in it (except for a few things like the Calm Belt information) was not written in the manga by Oda. This rumor was originally created by a popular anime blogger who took a wild guess after watching the arc. Due to the popularity of the said blog, others also pondered on the idea (though some fans came to this meaning on their own accord). However, it has been proven Dragon has an important plot role.

2. Myth: It's the first letter of the civilization name.

Fact: We don't know what the D. means at the moment. This comes from the significant actions of the World Government to stop Clover saying the name.

3. Myth: It's not a D its part of a smilie! (example: :-D). Also, every D character that appeared in the series had smiled (even Portgas D. Rouge).

Fact: This one streams from the act of smiling upon death.

4. Myth: It's the name of the royal family of the lost civilization or a clan within it.

Fact: We don't know anything about their culture or if they even had a Royal family.

5. Myth: D. means "Devil"

Fact: This one is a nod to Devil Fruits. Fans tend to try and match the name to every word beginning with 'D'.

6. Myth: It means "Damashii"

Fact: This one is linked to the talk of spirits and "will" throughout the series.

7. Myth: It's half a circle.

Fact: This one comes from "One Piece", the speculation is that the D. is half a circle or patten/symbol. In other words, acquiring Roger's treasure will result in the symbol becoming "One Piece" again.

8. Myth: It means "Danger". One of the Five Elder Stars said so in Post-War Arc!

Fact: One of the elders really said that, but that's due the translation "D always means danger", meaning that all of the people with D on their name were dangerous people.

9. Myth: It's given to those who can start a new era. Such as Roger starting a new age of pirates, and Blackbeards's betrayal and Ace's capture lead up to the Marineford War.

Fact: Portgas D. Rouge's only (confirmed) significant act in life was giving birth to Ace.

Buggy Scarred Shanks
Myth: Those marks on Shanks' left eye match those left behind when Luffy was hit in the face by Buggy with his knives. Buggy must have done that to Shanks!

Fact: Shanks states that he got the scars from Blackbeard.

The Devil Fruit eaten by Dragon
Myth: It's obvious by the way he said "Wind Blast" back in Loguetown that Dragon has a wind Devil Fruit. Or maybe, Dragon ate a Devil Fruit that allows him to manipulate the weather (why do you think a lightning bolt saved Luffy from being killed by Buggy? And what about the rain, when Dragon arrives at Loguetown?).

Fact: Dragon did not say "Wind blast" in the Manga, it was added in the anime. The original manga does not give any indication that Dragon had any effect on the weather other than being around when the storm hit. We do not know his power, although it's always a possibility.

Oda's Character references
Myth: Oda based his idea for X character from One Piece to Y character from Z series.

Fact: While some characters like Jango have obvious design origins, others are not so easily compared. If you really want to, you can compare just about every character to someone else out there. Many characters are based on other characters. Without the word of Oda, saying stuff like "Brook looks like Jack Skellington from Nightmare before Christmas" or "Jyabura resembles Tao from Dragonball" is just speculation.

Incidentally Brook's origins were eventually revealed, proving the speculations on his design origin as true. However, most of these speculations remain unproven. Many of the speculated origins of the characters are taken from purely Western views, which is difficult to know whether or not a Japanese person would have even heard of of the acclaimed "Oda Source Material". The other thing to realize is that some references have since become culturally common, like all pirates in Western culture saying "Arrrr!", which few people know originates from Robert Newton's role of Long John Silver in the 1950 film of Treasure Island. However, Oda has proven to be more knowledgeable on other cultures and One Piece contains references to cultures from all over the world. Many of his characters show a strong resemblance to musicians from Western media and music, particularly influences drawn from Rock and Metal music. To date, the only origins that can usually be proven are the names of pirates such as:


 * 1) Thatch, Marshall D. Teach (alias Blackbeard), Edward Newgate (Whitebeard) (Various alias of the same famous pirate known as Edward Teach)
 * 2) Calico Yorki (Calico Jack)
 * 3) Bellamy (Samuel "Black Sam" Bellamy)

Mushy Stuff
Myth: X character in One Piece is in love with X other character in One Piece.

Fact: It's not uncommon to see pairings mentioned like Luffy x Nami, however some fans try to force the speculation into fact when it is not. When asked if there would be romance in One Piece in a SBS letter, Oda replied "they are in love with adventure". There are no hints released in the manga itself. As such, most love referencing comes in the form of perverted comments from one character to the other. However, fans of any series will take even the smallest detail as a hint otherwise. Remember: One Piece is not a shoujo manga, so don't expect much romance. Not counting Sanji's love towards almost every female being in existence, Oda took eleven years to introduce any form at all - Boa Hancock's love for Luffy. However this is considered to be a one-sided romance solely intended for humor as Luffy doesn't have that same feelings for Hancock, where in fact he turned down her marriage proposal.

Corgi and the CP5
Myth: Corgi is a member of CP5, he might even be the leader!

Fact: The speculation comes from the fact that Corgi was trying to get the blueprints to Pluton from Iceburg, exactly what Spandam was doing with Tom when he was in charge of the CP5. But Corgi was never labeled as a leader of CP5 but was labeled as representative of the Government. However until Oda says something about it in a SBS or it is stated by a character, it is merely a speculation.

The Parents
Myth: Makino is Luffy's mother. Shanks is Luffy's father.

Fact: No one knows who Luffy's mother is. Makino is a friend, her concern for Luffy is no different than the mayor's. It was confirmed that it is impossible for her to be Luffy's mother in Chapter 0, as she is shown as a child 20 years prior to the storyline, which means that three years later, when Luffy was born, she was not old enough to give birth to a child. Shanks is revealed not to be Luffy's father, but rather Dragon is. This was a combination of fans noticing Shanks' concern for Luffy and that Shanks was drawn very similar to Luffy in the beginning of the series.

A more recent theory has sprung up since Shanks' trip to Whitebeard that Ace is Shank's son. This has sprung up based on the different surnames of Luffy and Ace (Monkey and Portgas) and the fact Garp never actually refers to Ace as his grandson when he visited Luffy; however, chapter 550 clearly states that Ace is Gol D. Roger's son. (Ace took his surname from his mother because he has no love for his father), thus ending this speculation once and for all.

Whitebeard a D
Myth: Whitebeard has got to be a D.! Look at how strong he is!

Fact: So far his name has only been given as "Edward Newgate", since Gold Roger's name was revealed to be "Gol D. Roger" some speculate his name is actually "Edwar D. Newgate" however this remains to date just speculation. It also to be considered that not all strong characters are D.s anyway. Plus, when Luffy uses his haki on Marineford in Chapter 570, Whitebeard states that since Luffy carries the Will of D., he will bring upon the New Age. Which also means Edward Newgate does not have the Will of D.

He also stated to Sengoku that "although it has nothing to do with him", as referring to the what the D people will discover at the Raftel.

Example
Zoro has the shown the greatest feat of endurance of the strawhat pirates and thrown giant buildings at enemies

Sanji can send things flying with one kick.

They Will Join!
Myth: That character would be great on the Straw Hat crew, they must join!

Fact: With every new arc that is released comes the hunt for Luffy to add more members to his crew. Many fans will speculate as to who will join and when. Mostly, this comes from Luffy's early recruitment during the East Blue Saga when he recruits a member almost every arc. When Luffy reached the Grand Line, this recruitment process slowed down and instead of most arcs leading to a member a new member has joined every three or four arcs.

Past speculated members:


 * Vivi: Vivi traveled with the Straw Hats throughout the Baroque Works Saga, but had no position she could hold. In the end, although the Straw Hats wanted her to come with them and were prepared to turn the Going Merry around to pick her up, she bid them a tearful farewell. Vivi's commitment as princess to Alabasta prevented her from leaving her home country and later she admitted she would have not been able to keep up with them.
 * Mr. 2 Bon Kurei: Bon Kurei assisted the Straw-hats with their escape from Arabasta and wanted to be friends with them. In the end, Bon Kurei departed with the crew to distract the marines that were chasing them. Luffy had also teamed back up with him in Impel Down. In the end, he stays behind to open the door to allow Luffy and the other 241 prisoners escape, which leads the reader to believe that Mr. 2 met his fate at the hands of Magellan.
 * Conis: having music skills and a fair knowledge of dials, plus huge interactions with the Straw Hats, she was speculated to be the Straw Hats next member, fulfilling the role of musician. However she displayed little fighting skills and was content with staying on Skypiea with her father. She was never asked to join the Straw Hats nor showed any interest in traveling with them.
 * Wiper: due to his insane willpower and strength Wiper was believed to be the next crew member to join, however he had no position he could fulfill. In the end Wiper neither showed any interest in joining nor was asked to join by Luffy.
 * Crewmember from the Foxy Pirates: The Straw Hats played the Davy Back Fight with the Foxy Pirates. Throughout the arc, many thought the Straw Hats would get a new member. The main speculation was a new shipwright as Luffy had previously decided to get one for the crew. However in the end Luffy didn't pick a new crewmember. Although in the Anime version, Luffy wins 497 crewmembers from Foxy, but then dismisses them.
 * Paulie: due to early hints (such as him building astounding trust with Luffy) and Franky being set up as a villain during the Water 7 arc, many fans speculated Paulie would join and fulfill the role of Shipwright. However as the Enies Lobby arc progressed on, it became clear Franky, not Paulie, would join. In the end Paulie was never asked to join by Luffy and showed clear loyalty to Iceburg.
 * Cerberus: Luffy captured the Cerberus in Thriller Bark and rode on it's back for a while. When readers saw this, many came to the conclusion that Luffy would keep it as a pet. This is as of now impossible, as the Cerberus (Along with all other zombies) were purified by Gekko Moriah.
 * Perona: after Perona's fight with Usopp, Perona decided to use the Thousand Sunny to escape. Many fans began speculating that Perona may end up joining the crew. She is sent flying by Kuma towards the end of the Thriller Bark arc and her location has recently been revealed as the Shikkearu Kingdom, where she complains about not being waited on hand and foot. Zoro is sent to the same island by Kuma, and although she is terrified when she discovers him, then laughs at how badly injured he is, she takes him inside and treats his wounds. Later on they are seen casually exploring the island together suggesting that they may have developed a brand of trust. As of recently it has been revealed that the island they are on belongs to Dracule Mihawk and he has already given Zoro the means to escape while Perona seems to be more focused on mooching off of Mihawk and her sadness over Gekko Moriah's possible demise. Later she revealed she did come with Zoro, but she was last seen fending off marines while the Straw Hats were diving to reach fishman island. Perona also has shown that she has had no tragic past and seems to be more loyal to Moria than she would to Luffy if she were to join. Her dream is that she wants to create a country where all the 'cute' people are turned into zombie animals that obey only her. This is something she could not accomplish by joining the Straw Hats.
 * Keimi: Keimi landed onto the Straw Hats' ship at the start of the Sabaody Archipeligo arc; oddly, people were already jumping to the conclusion that she would join the crew. However there is no real job position to be filled at the moment, and Keimi doesn't appear to have any profession to contribute. In addition, she has few to no fighting skills, and it has already been revealed that her dream is to become a designer, something she would not need to travel to the New World to accomplish. The only thing she would have to contribute is being different from the others (the way Chopper and Brook are different).
 * Marguerite: One of the two most significant figures (the other one being Hancock) of the Kuja tribe, Marguerite rescued Luffy after Kuma sent him flying onto her island of Amazon Lily. She has quickly developed an interest in Luffy as she has never seen a man before and also went out of her way to support Luffy. The only things that was going against Marguerite joining was having no known tragic past and the lack of a dream. As well as possible no real job position to be filled for her at the moment (other then being a fighter like Zoro or a sniper like Usopp). When Luffy leaves Amazon Lily Marguerite remained behind but not before Luffy tells her and her friends Sweet Pea and Aphelandra that he will return after getting his brother free and finding his crew. Marguerite is seen again with her friends (and the other Kujas) expressing joy that Luffy has returned to Amazon Lily, she also states she is going to make more clothes (this time, without frills) for him. After the timeskip, Luffy gets to Sabaody Archipelago with the help of the Kuja pirates but Marguerite (who have became part of the Kuja pirates along with Sweet Pea and Aphelandra) doesn't go with him, however before Luffy leaves, he expressed to Marguerite and everyone else that he wishes to see them all again.
 * Boa Hancock: One of the two most significant figures (the other one being Marguerite) of the Kuja tribe. She has a tragic past (being a slave to the Celestial Dragons), something which every Straw Hat pirate has had prior to joining. However, Hancock for now is already a Shichibukai, although she is one who doesn't like the World Government and is in love with Luffy. She also lacks a dream at this moment. During the war against Whitebeard she attacks Commodore Smoker for restraining Luffy as well as give him the key to Ace's handcuffs. She later attacks a group of Pacifistas while proclaiming her love for Luffy. After Luffy's defeat at Marineford she brings Luffy to Amazon Lily so he can recover and be safe from the Marines. Whether or not these actions have placed her position in jeopardy is still unknown. During Luffy's time on Amazon Lily, Hancock has done nothing but worry about Luffy to the point that she can't eat or concentrate on anyone other than him, showing that her feelings for him have intensified, with Elder Nyon commenting that the Love Sickness Hancock has contracted is quite strong. After the timeskip, Luffy gets to Sabaody Archipelago with the help of the Kuja Pirates but Hancock doesn't go with him, however before Luffy leaves, he expressed to Hancock and everyone else that he wishes to see them all again. Plus, having the most beautiful woman in the world as a member of the crew would probably kill Sanji (Though after an Okama blood transfusion, he has reverted back to his old self when he sees a beautiful woman as shown when he saw Shirahoshi and Nami, so this may not be a problem anymore). It should also be noted that, like Nami and Robin, they had there tragic pasts hinted at some point before, and when thier past was fully shown would they join, and Hancock's has been alluded but not fully shown yet.
 * Marineford arc allies: Luffy escaped Impel Down with several allies, which "replaced" his usual crew for this arc. They are Buggy, Mr. 3, Mr. 1, Crocodile, Jinbe, Emporio Ivankov and Inazuma. All of them have been more or less speculated to join the Straw Hat pirates. However Luffy parted ways with all of them (minus Jinbe) shortly after the war at Marineford.
 * Jinbe: He has a lot of respect for Luffy due to the bravery and conviction he showed in his efforts to try and save his brother Ace. It was shown in a flashback that Jinbe was asked by Ace if he could protect Luffy after his execution, however Jinbe declined, but after Ace's death Jinbe swore to protect Luffy's life probably indicating that he now views Luffy in high regard, even going so far as to risk his life for him. Later, during their recovery on Amazon Lily, Jinbe tries to tell a rampaging Luffy that Ace is truly gone, but when Luffy tells him that he already knows it and begins crying Jinbe himself begins to cry, showing a deeper understanding between the two, he then points out to Luffy, who was wallowing in his despair and weakness, that he still has something to protect - his crew, and that brings Luffy out of his funk. In the end, Jinbe returned to Fishman Island after helping Luffy to get a second time inside Marineford. But not before he expresses his wish to see Luffy again in two years. On Fishman Island Jinbe would later reveal his background and has shown that, like all the other Straw Hats, he also lost a loved one, for him it was Fisher Tiger who was his best friend and like an older brother to him and Queen Otohime who he later respected for her dream of peace for merfolk. His dream may be for humans and merfolk to be at peace with each other, which is what Tiger and Otohime wished for and what he wishes to carry on for them, which was one of the reasons he joined the shichibukai. He has also recently gotten along well with some of the Straw Hats and Nami expresses no ill towards Jinbe about Arlong or fishmen as a whole, which relieved Jinbe greatly and said he is indebted to her. He also could fill in the position as a helmsman as the Straw Hats don't officially have one yet. At Gyoncorde Plaza, Jinbe joins forces with the Straw Hats to fight the New Fishman Pirates and planned with them before arriving there, hinting he may have bonded with the crew.
 * Surume: Many fans believed that Surume, the Kraken Luffy tamed early in the time-skip, would end up being a pet for the Straw Hats, making him a new crew member. Surume ran away when they got to Fishman Island out of fear of Hody Jones. He was recently seen along with the other Sea Beasts of the New Fishmen Pirates at the Gyoncorde Plaza. During the battle there, he would turn on Hody and returned on Luffy's side when Luffy said he was his friend, which moved Surume and began attacking the New Fishman Pirates.
 * Caribou: Because of him being captured by the Straw Hats early after the time-skip, and the fact that he was the first new character to really interact with them, many fans believe that he will be the next crew member. He does however, want to kill all the Straw Hats so it is most likely that he will not join and has even framed them for mermaid kidnapping on Fishman Island and wants to sell them off for slavery, which is something all the Straw Hats are against. He is also very deceitful, having joined the Imposter Straw Hats solely to kill the real Straw Hats only to leave and bury the fakes alive. He only does what he wants and desires what he wants, showing he would never obey Luffy if he were to join, especially since that all the Straw Hats all think he's an idiot. Because of his ruthlessness and mercilessness, and how he is already captain of his own crew (till he lost it on the way to Fishman Island), he is a very unlikely candidate to join.
 * Madame Shirley: When she was introduced, Luffy asked if mermaids pooped. This question was asked to Brook when he was being recruited (much to Sanji's angry disgust), but also directed at Keimi upon their first encounter, showing this as just a genuine, albeit humorous, curiosity on Luffy's part. Madame Shirley was so angered by Luffy's question that Luffy had to apologize to her under Keimi's suggestion. Even though her ability to predict the future would be an asset to the crew, it has yet to be confirmed if she will be joining or not.
 * Shirahoshi: She seems to spend more time with Luffy than any other character during the Fishman Island Arc. She also has the ability to control Sea Kings which could be very helpful to the crew, also at the beginning of the arc Luffy showed interest in taming animals like the kraken so they could carry the ship. Her background was also explained and it can be presumed that her mother wanted her children to see the world above the sea which could become her dream and motivation for joining the crew, where she herself has expressed a desire to see more of the world. Also her back story and Luffy's actions mirror what went on when Nami joined. Shirahoshi also lost her mother in a tragic way, something that has happened to female Straw Hats members, Nami and Robin, as well. Shirahoshi also stated to Nami that she felt comfortable around her even though she knew it was their first meeting, Nami stated it was probably because they both have similar backgrounds. However Shirahoshi's size makes her an unlikely candidate as she appears to be 2-3 times bigger than the Sunny. Some fans would disregard such a factor considering Blackbeard has a giant in his crew (San Juan Wolf), however if she was to join they would need to discard the Sunny for a bigger ship, forfeiting Franky's dream. Her familial attachments also pose a problem as it is doubtful that Neptune or her brothers would allow her to become a pirate. She is also very fragile, crying whenever someone raises their voice or whenever someone gets hurt around her. She also has very little fighting skills other than taking advantage of her large size or her Sea King ability and she does not really like fighting. It was stated by Otohime that the legend of the mermaid who can control Sea Kings says that someone will came and guide this mermaid and then the world will change. This "someone" can be Luffy, and if it is, this legend supports the fact of Shirahoshi joining the crew.

Musician Ideal
Myth: The upcoming musician for the Straw Hat Pirates is an attractive young woman.

Fact: Ever since Luffy wanted a musician, many fans speculated on who would be the crew musician. However there was the popular speculation about a musician was always an attractive woman, mostly in the One Piece fanfiction.net section, it became a popular fan idea. Often they would portray the woman sailing on a small rowboat or already joined the crew by the time their story begins, sometimes the musician would be a female mermaid. All this happened before Brook, an official Straw Hat Pirates' musician, was introduced.

Interestingly, before Brook's initial appearance, Oda had already thought up of the Straw Hat Pirates' musician while first drawing Laboon back in 1999, he had the concept of Brook, a tall, male, 88 years old skeleton with an afro since then but never brought it into the open until 2007. Once Brook became the official Straw Hat Pirates' musician, the "young attractive female musician" became biased but some fanfiction writers would instead have a female musician join before Brook joined or continue having a female musician anyway. (replaced later with "female harpoon/Helmsman" specialist Fishwoman/Mermaid instead).

Progression of Time
Myth: It's been a year since the story began.

Fact: There is no indication of how long the storyline has taken. Few clues aid the fans at all.

From witnessing the story play out;
 * 1) Luffy's first few adventures in the East Blue happened within a few weeks. The only time night was witnessed however were during the captain Kuro story arc and at the end of the Arlong story arc. They therefore spent at least one day at Usopp's village.
 * 2) Luffy worked for two days in Baratie before the arrival of Don Krieg's Pirate Armada.
 * 3) They spent several days, after Nami's village was freed from Arlong, partying.
 * 4) No night scenes were witnessed during Loguetown, it is presumed Loguetown was a quick stop for them due to the events with Smoker.
 * 5) Whiskey Peak was at least one night, they were there less than a day.
 * 6) They were at Little Garden for only a day (no night scenes were witnessed).
 * 7) From Little Garden to Drum Island it was less than five days (Nami would have died from her illness of Kestia if it had been any longer).
 * 8) There was a night scene at Drum Island, but they were there no more than two or so days.
 * 9) They met Ace within ten days of him visiting Drum Island because he had left Drum Island only a week before hand and he was still in Arabasta when they arrived. He was only going to wait ten days for Luffy.
 * 10) In all, they spent less than a week or so in Arabasta before moving on.
 * 11) They were in Jaya less than four days, the time taken before their Log Pose would have adjusted, however they left close to its change.
 * 12) A close examination of Skypiea will show that it lasted two days (Entering the white sea to the campfire in Upper Yard was one day, and then the Survival Game to waking up the next morning after the party was another).
 * 13) No night scenes were seen in the Davy Back Fight matches. It is presumed the events took place in less than a day.
 * 14) They stayed in Long Ring Long Land for 4 days after Aokiji's attack to let Luffy and Robin rest.
 * 15) They traveled for another 3 days before coming across Yokozuna.
 * 16) Including the events of Enies Lobby, the crew had stopped at Water 7 for a week.
 * 17) Thriller Bark was less than a day, a day max.
 * 18) There was a week between leaving Thriller Bark and arriving at the Red Line.
 * 19) A full two days had passed visibly over the time Luffy was on his way to Amazon Lily.
 * 20) Four and a half days had passed during the journey from Amazon Lily to Impel Down via Marine ship.
 * 21) 30 hours have passed since Luffy first arrived at Impel Down.
 * 22) Three weeks have passed since the end of the "War at the Summit" at Marineford.
 * 23) Two years passed during the time skip.

All in all, the storyline works out to show that the story has been going on for around two years, three months. When you add up all the days that the storyline roughs out for you it works out the Straw Hats have been sailing for at least three to six months, although it is likely much higher than this due to the fact time spent traveling between islands is indeterminable. In particular note to this indeterminable time period, Ace began to hunt Blackbeard when Luffy's first wanted poster came out, yet Blackbeard had already left Whitebeard 2–3 months to the Straw Hats arriving later at Drum Island. This means either Ace didn't hunt Blackbeard straight away, or the Straw Hat crew took a number of days between their adventures before arrivng at either any or all of these locations - Logue Town, Reverse Mountain and Whiskey Peak. There is simply no room for the 2–3 months in any other established time period.

Some argue that the Rumbar Pirates claimed it would take them a couple of years to travel around the world and Luffy's crew must have passed at least one year already. From Rayleigh we learn Roger had entered the Grand Line three years before his death and disbanded his crew a year before his death. This means it took him two years to complete his journey which gives us a little bit of judgment to base the Straw Hats journey on even if a small one. In One Piece, Oda has depicted the moon several times, it has been discovered the moon's phases progress with the storyline's own timeline and therefore it can be used as a judge for the number of days that have passed on their journey. However from the first sighting in the Kuro arc (waxing crescent) to the start of the Amazon Lily arc (waning crescent) would work out to be only 21 days by this guide. Although due to certain conditions on one of the phases seen, it could be as much as 42 days.

An argument against the timespan is that Coby has aged greatly, however Oda answered this. According to Oda, Coby just went through a growth spurt and tightened his muscles with discipline (due to Garp's training).

During Shanks' arrival at The Marineford War, Lucky Roo stated that Shanks had not seen Luffy for 10 years. As Luffy set off on his adventure 10 years after Shanks left, and that they have not seen each other since, it can be presumed that it has been less than a year since Luffy's adventure began.

The final hint of age is the notion Oda once stated that One Piece timeline is independent of our own real world time line. In confirming this, he also revealed that Luffy was 17 before strong world and can be presumed to be 18 during marineford arc, meaning One Piece's first half has taken place in at most a year, and more likely less then a year since we do not know the exact date when Luffy left on his journey. This is however the only solid information to date on the timeline for One Piece there is.

Kaku the Monkey
Myth: Kaku's Devil Fruit grants him the ability to turn into a monkey!

Fact: Kaku's unidentified Devil Fruit was once speculated by fans to be a Devil Fruit that would turn its user into some sort of monkey due to it's banana shape. Since monkeys are often associated with bananas in common pop culture and due to the fact that Franky calls Kaku a monkey due to his jumping ability that he commonly displays while traversing Water 7, this speculation was expected as it also seemed like the author, Oda, was slightly implying it with the various subtle hint-like elements in order to throw readers off and intensify the joke of its revelation.

It was later revealed that Kaku's Devil Fruit enables him to morph from man, to an odd giraffe hybrid, to a full on giraffe. For the most part of his fight between himself and Zoro he kept his hybrid form.

Fate of Saul
Myth: Saul is still alive, Kuzan's move didn't kill him!

Fact: While it appears Saul died at Ohara Island, there are arguments that may prove otherwise. The simple fact that he and Aokiji were good friends may show that Aokiji was reluctant to kill him. Amongst the noted signs, is the name of the move used by Aokiji 'Ice Time Capsule', which alone implies he may still be alive (although it could just mean that the move is "Ice Time", only focused on a smaller area). However it is yet to be proven he is alive and for now he is considered dead until proven otherwise. In the episode 278 Spandine was shown talking to Sengoku, where he said "Saul must have let her (Nico Robin) escape before dying!" There are several giants imprisoned on Level 6 of Impel Down - the 'Eternal Hell' which the public don't know about, and where the World Government incarcerates prisoners it would rather forget about. One of the giants has a large bushy beard and a wide mouth which causes him to resemble Saul, but unless it is later revealed to be him, this can be considered a coincidence.

A Zoan in the Shichibukai
Myth: Boa Hancock empress of the Kuja has the power to transform to a half snake-woman (more like Medusa) or a full snake, thanks to the power of a Zoan type Devil Fruit.

Fact: Boa Hancock has a Paramecia Devil Fruit power that turns people into stone, called the Mero Mero no Mi. Her sisters, Boa Marigold and Boa Sandersonia both have Zoan type Devil Fruits, the Hebi Hebi no Mi, Model: King Cobra and Hebi Hebi no Mi, Model: Anaconda respectively.

The Shichibukai, like the CP9 agents, have animal based themes. And fans conclude prematurely that a Shichibukai member whose power is as of yet unknown, has eaten a Zoan Devil Fruit. While, six of the eight Shichibukai possess the powers of the Devil Fruits, none of these fruits belong to the Zoan family.

Some Shichibukai have demonstred a Devil Fruit ability upon their introduction (Crocodile used it to dry up a flower before any Zoan appeared in the series, Donquixote Doflamingo used it in the Mariejois meeting, Brook said that Gekko Moriah took away his Shadow).

Bartholomew Kuma otherwise had it hidden by a long period since his introduction. Some fans speculated he would have a Devil Fruit that would allow him to tranform on to a bear. Despite his "teleporting" powers, some fans guessed he would be a Zoan after seeing the paw prints of the Nikyu Nikyu no Mi.

Moriah's scar


1.Myth: Moriah's scar comes from his fight with Kaido.

Fact: The origins of Moriah's scar have not been revealed. Those scars have existed for at least 20 years though as shown in the chapter 0 (and appears to have grown over the years). Though it appears on the skin, it is also unconfirmed to be a scar, since almost all other scars seen with stitches in the series have normal "-" across them. For a surgeon, an "x" scar would make the skin close incorrectly on the wound, disputing the pressure on the closed wound incorrectly. This is why surgeons always do a straight stitch across as it pulls the flesh together equally.

2.Myth: Thats not a scar! He is wearing a mask!

Fact: Note worthy enough, the "scar" has lengthened over the years. But even before Chapter 0 was released, this theory cropped up on his face being a mask or based on a mask. To date, this is also unknown and one can presume as far as the readers are concerned that it is his true face.

The Man of D.
Myth: The D. is gained only from the male line; there are no females.

Fact: This is an old forum belief/speculation based on the fact that, until Portgas D. Rouge appeared, there had only been male carriers of D. in the storyline. As of Chapter 550, this old theory is now proven false.

Lola's Mama is the final Yonko
Myth: Lola said that her mama is an incredibly powerful pirate, and that Nami should try to find her if she was in trouble. She's probably the last Yonko!

Fact: This is mere speculation, as Oda has not established who the last Yonko is, and which of the two unknown ones is Kaido. However, the fact that one is an obvious male while the other has curly hair and questionable gender makes this possible. The final Yonko is revealed to be called Big Mam, but there is still no confirmation that the Yonko is Lola's mother.

Kaku and Akainu
Myth: Kaku is Akainu.

Fact: This is the most unpopular strange random theory found in Feb. 2006, this theory is now largely forgotten and is very flawed and perhaps very weak because they failed to find strong evidence to prove that they are alike. Some fans believed that Kaku is Akainu because both of them have their caps pulled down and have lines on their noses, both of them were strong and some thought Akainu is a younger version of Kaku. But many facts were left out, first Kaku's hair is blonde while Akainu's hair is black. Kaku's face structure is way different from Akainu and Akainu's nose is not long and square-shaped. Kaku was 23 years old and would be 3 years old in the Ohara Incident, plus when Akainu was shown in his present state in chapter 550, he was almost the same as he was 20 years ago, except that he looks older and more grunt. Kaku was a CP9 while Akainu was a Marine, therefore this theory contradicts the introduction of the 3 admirals by Nico Robin, it also won't make sense for an Marine admiral to become a CP9, having a different face, fighting the Straw Hat Pirates. Additionally, as revealed in chapter 573, Akainu possesses magma-based Logia Devil Fruit powers, far removed from Kaku's giraffe-based Zoan powers.

Ace is One Piece
Myth: Ace IS One Piece.

Fact: The strangest most random speculation started by some fans. Because Ace is the son of Gol D. Roger, they assume that he is One Piece. This is not the case, as Roger had stated that he left "everything in that place", which is unlikely to be Baterilla, where he would've "left" Ace. Finally, Whitebeard's declaration of One Piece's existence after Ace's death disproves this theory completely.

Light and Dark
Myth: The Pika Pika no Mi is light, therefore Yami Yami no Mi being darkness must be its opposite/weakness!

Fact: True light and dark are regarded as opposites but the way the Devil Fruits react is not that simple. "Darkness" in the Yami Yami no Mi's case includes black holes, which absorbs all things in the real world including light.

Another related theory is the fact that few shadows appear in the day as oppose to night and the Yami Yami no Mi can be swapped in this speculation with the Kage Kage no Mi for this particular theory. The idea here is the light would overwrite the effects of either Devil Fruit. However, it should be realized the absence of shadows in the daylight has nothing to do with light, as shadows exist because there is light in the first place. In the manga itself, Perona turns on a light behind Luffy to create a light source from which Moriah could steal his shadow from. In fact the absence of shadows is purely based on the direction the light is coming from (the sun generates different lengths of shadows in morning, midday and evening, as well as from Summer to winter).

To date, none of the traditional values of light and dark have been displayed in the Devil Fruits mentioned within these theories nor have any of these three Devil Fruits been pitched against each other.

Kuma's Intention
Myth: Kuma separated the Straw Hat Pirates so they can become stronger.

Fact: The full reason behind Kuma separating the Straw Hat Pirates is still unknown though a great deal of evidence seems to point to this myth being proved at least partially true.

By chapter 591, it was revealed that Kuma wished to save the Straw Hats. Sentomaru also stated that the user of the Nikyu Nikyu no Mi can control where to send people, which was also proved by the fact that Perona was sent to a dark castle like she wanted. The Straw Hats then landed on suspiciously convenient spots (like Zoro ending up on Mihawk's island and Nami on an island dedicated to studying the weather). This evidence strongly supports the myth's veracity. Even so, until it is confirmed, this cannot be taken as a fact.

Know your Enemy
Myth: Usopp will become Luffy's enemy.

Fact: A semi-famous speculation that took place after the Going Merry duel, where fans thought that Usopp would end up becoming Luffy's enemy due to speculation that he had developed a hatred against Luffy for abandoning the ship and decided to quit the crew. However most fans rejected the idea as it would made no sense for someone who was such an important member of the crew to become an enemy.

However, Usopp knew that the ship was dying, and he left the crew because he was doubtful if he would ever remain in the crew due to what happened in Longring Longland after the crew confronted Aokiji. Usopp's actions in Enies Lobby proved that he has no hatred against Luffy.

Later Usopp accepted the burning of the Going Merry and later had to apologize for his actions to be accepted back in the crew, dismissing the speculation once for all.

Usopp the Musclehead
Myth: In order for Usopp to re-join the crew, he must beat up a CP9

Fact: this speculation appeared after Usopp quit the crew. Many fans; mostly Usopp fans wanted him to re-join, so they believed that for him to do that, he has to beat up a strong person to prove his worth. This began in the warehouse when Kaku released the Going Merry to the shipwreck below, fans jumped the conclusion that Usopp would snap and beat up Kaku but it never happened.

Then after he became the Sogeking and arrived at the Tower of Justice, fans expected Usopp to confront Kaku but it was Zoro who confronted him. Usopp went into Jabra's room; they believed he has to fight him. But Zoro and Kaku came crashing down before the fight would happen. Later Usopp was unable to fight Jabra but he was told by Sanji that there are some things he can and cannot do; this leads Usopp to realize that his abilities are not based on his strength but his mind. He did prove his worth by stopping Spandam and he managed to re-join the crew much later, proving that he does not need to fight anyone strong to do so.

Oda even stated in an SBS that Usopp would always be the weakest in the crew, this was to prevent upsetting the balance in the story and if Usopp becomes a strong character, he would not be a great character anymore.

Holy Kuma
Myth: Kuma is religious.

Fact: This speculation was due to Kuma carrying around the bible and having a devoted attitude. Fans suggested he would act as a stereotypical priest, but once he appeared in Thriller Bark, his character was far different than many people thought he was.

While he believed moral justice, he never spoke religiously nor did he act as a stereotypical priest at all.

Where is Fishman Island?
Myth: Fishman Island is in the middle of the ocean

Fact: Because Kokoro did not say where Fishman Island is, many fans thought that Fishman Island is in the middle of the ocean where after the Straw Hat visited it, the Red line would still be far off. However after Thriller Bark, the Red Line appeared, making Fishman Island under the Red Line.

Zoro's new Sword
1.Myth: One day Zoro will get a Seastone sword.

Fact: When Zoro lost a sword in Enies Lobby, this was one of the most common speculations. Obviously, Zoro would need a replacement and many fans wanted him to replace his lost sword with a Seastone one. Generally, it had been a fairly quiet speculation before then as at the time there was no indication Zoro would ever lose any of his three swords. At this point in time, there is also no further indication that Zoro will lose anymore of his swords (considering the fact that one of the swords is considered indestructible). Regardless, this speculation crops up often enough in fan discussions.

2.Myth: Zoro will own all three of the cursed swords Shodai Kitetsu, Nidai Kitetsu and Sandai Kitetsu.

Fact: Much in the same way the Seastone Sword theory sprung out of Zoro losing Yubashiri, likewise did this also. Generally, it was not thought that Zoro would ever lose one of his swords. It became another popular theory that one day Zoro would obtain all three generations of the Kitetsu swords. This is most due to the fact their names were already known to the fans prior to Shuusui being shown in the storyline and many wanted Zoro to use all three cursed swords as testament to his power. One problem with this myth is that in order to have Zoro have all three kitetsu swords, all of his would have to be broken/lost etc. That would mean Wadō Ichimonji, Zoro's most prized sword would have to get destroyed. Unless of course that they were all owned at different times.

Diviner Dragon
Myth: Dragon is a Fate Diviner, he had a mystic aura around him. His role was to watch the Straw Hat Pirates and he is an all-powerful diviner sent from heaven to use the pirates as his tool to unleash an powerful force to heal the universe....

Fact: When Dragon first appeared, he did appear as a mysterious man. But many fans assumed that he is an all-powerful fate diviner who apparently chose the Straw Hat Pirates to do his bidding. But his role and his intention was not what the story had us to believe. It was revealed that he was a revolutionary but this did not kill off the myth that he was a fate diviner; many fans wondered why he saved Luffy, thus the myth stayed around. Later again we found out that he is Luffy's father, and his reason for appearing in Lougetown was to see him off. His full name was Monkey D. Dragon. Despite that he's not a fate diviner, he is still mysterious in a different way.

Ohara Myth


1.Myth: There is a demon of Ohara, that means there are real demons there!

Fact: Oda always does this, he would make stories about ghosts, monsters, and demons, misleading fans into assuming that they are real but he would turn the tables by pointing out that it is not what what the reader was meant to believe. "Demons of Ohara" was in fact a political term coined by the World Goverment. Also, some fans thought that the word Ohara was connected to O'bake meaning there would be ghost there but there is no ghost anywhere.

2. Myth: Ohara is a kingdom

Fact: It is not stated to be a kingdom.

3. Myth: Ohara is somewhere in the Grand Line.

Fact: Some people thought that Ohara was in the Grand Line before being revealed to be in West Blue by Lucci.

4. Myth: The Ohara incident took place twelve years ago while Tom was building a Sea Train while the incident is close to Water Seven.

Fact: Some fans thought this up during the Franky flashback on the fan board. Some fans just wanted to see Robin's history so badly and had no patience for it that they hoped that Robin's history would be in Franky's flashback, but the incident was supposed to take place 20 years ago, not 12.

Devil Fruit Myth
Myth: Akainu has the power of the blood fruit.

Fact: After Kizaru appeared for the first time it became easier to speculate on what the remaining Admiral's powers could be. Because the known Admirals' powers are both logia it stood to reason that the third one's would be too. The general consensus during this time was that Akainu's ability would have something to do with magma and lava, but the speculations really kicked into overdrive after the first proper glimpse of the man. This spawned such ideas that Akainu could control blood, probably because of his violence. This myth is from the early days of the Marineford arc in which the speculations were also put to rest and the myth's ultimately debunked. The fruit's name revealed in SBS Volume 62 which is Magu Magu no Mi that grants user to become and control magma.

Myth: Urouge has the power of the giant fruit

Fact: Urouge grew to the size of a pacifista almost instantainiously he may have transformed into a hybrid of a human and a giant. This has not been confirmed.

7 Shichibukai for 7 Sins
Myth: the Shichibukai match up with the seven sins.

Fact: a very common and very old speculation. However, this speculation has become less popular for several reasons. Firstly, out of the Shichibukai, Hancock, Moriah, Jinbe, Doflamingo, Blackbeard and Crocodile are the only 6 that could be said to be a perfect match for the 7 sins (Lust, Sloth, Pride, Wrath, Gluttony and Greed respectively) while others are questionable, like Kuma and Mihawk. Regardless, Oda has yet to put up front any confirmation that there is any connection between the seven sins and the Shichibukai.

The Yonko and the Sacred Beasts
Myth: There are four Yonko like the four sacred beasts of Japan (Red phoenix, Azure/Blue dragon, White tiger, Black turtle). Shanks and Whitebeard already match two of the colours (Red and White), I bet the last two Yonko have nicknames that match the colours (Blue/Azure and Black)!

Fact: Unconfirmed. Most other animes that share One Pieces genre will generally have some reference to the 4 sacred beast in them somewhere so anime fans in general are always expecting them. For now however, it can only be regarded as speculation, although Oda has referenced other Japanese folklores already in One Piece as seen with the Marine Admirals.

Gate of Justice and Marineford
Myth : One has to pass through the Gates of Justice to reach Marineford

Fact : One has to pass through the Gates of Justice to reach Marineford only if they are coming via the Tarai Current. The misinterpretation comes from the fact that Luffy and the Impel Down escapees came this way and that the gates opened mysteriously at almost the same time that the Whitebeard Pirates appear. However the Whitebeard Pirates had reached Marineford by coming directly from Fishman Island using coated ships.

Ace's Fate
Myth: Portgas D. Ace was killed by Marshall D. Teach on Banaro Island!

Fact: After the release of Chapters 440 and 441 it was not clear what happened to Ace. This caused some speculation among fans who believed that he was killed. An "Ace Is Dead Society" arose. However, later in the story Luffy found out that Ace was alive but imprisoned in Impel Down, the great gaol. He was shown in his cell waiting for his execution. Luffy infiltrated the prison and eventually participated in the Whitebeard War in order to save his brother. Ace dies in the arms of Luffy after taking a direct hit from Admiral Akainu and having his internal organs burned to a crisp. He dies smiling like all D's.

Devil Fruit's Names
Myth: The names of the unnamed Devil Fruits must be...

Some of the fan guesses for the names have been:
 * Chiqicheetah: Neko Neko no Mi Model: Cheetah
 * Eustass Kid: Jiji Jiji no Mi (Ji means magnet, furthermore jiji can be translated as grandpa) or Jisha Jisha no mi (Jisha also means Magnet too)
 * Trafalgar Law: Baba Baba no Mi (Ba means space, furthermore baba can be translated as grandma and is a similar name to Buggy's Devil Fruit which has similar powers), Heya Heya no Mi (Heya means room, as in the name of his attack before using Shambles; It has also been said that his power could have something to do with Feng Shui as it is used in room organization), Bunkai Bunkai no Mi (Bunkai means disassemble), or Bata Bata no Mi (Bata Bata being the onomatopoeia for things scattering).
 * Jewerly Bonney: Toki Toki no Mi (Toki means time) or Toshi Toshi no Mi (Toshi means age)
 * Capone Bege: Shiro Shiro no Mi (Shiro means castle, it can also mean white), Fune Fune no Mi (Fune means vessel), or Gun Gun no Mi (Gun means army).
 * Basil Hawkins: Mugi Mugi no Mi (Mugi means straw) or Budu Budu no Mi/Budo Budo no Mi (Budu/Budo translation for voodoo).
 * X Drake: Kyo Kyo no Mi Model: Tyrannosaurus rex (Kyo comes from kyouryuu, meaning dinosaur).
 * Scratchmen Apoo: Oto Oto no Mi (Oto means sound), Uta Uta no Mi (Uta means music), or Gakki Gakki no Mi (Gakki is instrument).
 * Minotaurus: Ushi Ushi no Mi Model: Bull or the standard Ushi Ushi no Mi.
 * Minozebra: Uma Uma no Mi Model: Zebra
 * Minokoala: Kuma Kuma no Mi Model: Koala (Kuma means bear)
 * Minorhinoceros: Rino Rino no Mi, Sai Sai no Mi (Sai means rhinoceros) or Uma Uma no Mi Model: Rhinoceros (rhinos are related to horses).
 * Laffitte: Tori Tori no Mi Model: Swallow/Owl or Tobu Tobu no Mi (Tobu means fly)
 * Jozu: Hari Hari no Mi (Hari means crystal), Daiya Daiya no Mi (Daiya short for Daiyamondo meaning diamond), or Hōse Hōse no Mi (Hōse means gem).
 * Marco: Tori Tori no Mi; Model: Phoenix or Fushi Fushi no Mi (Fushichō means phoenix)
 * Donquixote Doflamingo: Ito Ito no Mi, Himo Himo no Mi (Both Ito and Himo means string), Ningyō Ningyō no Mi (Ningyō means puppet) or Konto Konto no Mi (Kontorōru means control)
 * Dalmatian: Inu Inu no Mi, Model: Dalmatian
 * Onigumo: Kumo Kumo no Mi, Model: Tarantula (Kumo Kumo no Mi: Kumo means spider)
 * Epoida: Mushi Mushi no Mi Model: Caterpillar (Mushi means Bug)

Fact: Name given: see Devil Fruit

Haki Users
Myth: 1. Possible Haki Users:


 * Jozu: Able to attack Crocodile (whose Logia powers activate even by reflexes) with only raw strength.


 * Dracule Mihawk: He is the strongest swordsman of the world, was able to draw blood from Mr. 1, and was the rival of Shanks (Shanks and Vista -a respected swordsman to Mihawk- both have used some kind of Haki).


 * Emporio Ivankov: Okama queen with the ability to launch attacks by winking.

Fact: It was stated in chapter 594 by a marine doctor that all Vice Admirals and above have the ability to use Haki. The doctor also told Coby that he is using a form of Haki (which is also known as Kenbunshoku Haki or Mantra). In SBS Volume 56 Oda stated that Ivankov's Death Wink is a blast created when he winks and not some kind of Haki.
 * Jinbe: He has in the past been able to fight Ace who has a Logia and even redirecting an attack from an Admiral with his bare hands.
 * Doflamingo: His power to control people like marionettes could be an advanced form of Haōshoku Haki, rather than a devil fruit, as it seems that this is the direction that one piece is going in.
 * Shiliew: Impel Down former Chief Jailer with incredible swordsmanship and power comparable to Magellan's (a poison man).

Myth: 2. Future Possible Haki Users:


 * Roronoa Zoro: His Ashura technique and his ability to cut through steel could indicate something more than brute strength.


 * Sanji: Sanji's Diable Jambe might be a form of Haki.


 * Usopp: Usopp's "ability" to negate Perona's Negative Hollow powers, can be an unconscious form of Haki.

Fact: Whether the characters abilities stems from Haki or simply skill (or Devil Fruit where appropriate) is yet to be confirmed. It is confimred that Sanji's Diable Jambe is produced using friction, although the fact that he is not burned by this himself has yet to be fully explained. Zoro's Ashura is described by Kaku as a mental projection, although the meaning of this is unclear. Just before Zoro sliced through Mr. 1 in Alabasta, he apparently heard "heartbeats" coming from everything, which bears a remarkable similarity to Coby's describtion of his Haki ability. However no connection is yet confirmed. While Usopp's negative hollow immunity has only been explained by his claims of being "already negative", it should be noted that Luffy, while confirmed to have the capacity for Haki and known to occaisonally use it unconciously, was still affected by the negative hollow.

Haki "Types"
Myth: Luffy has "King" Haki, therefore there must be other "Types" of Haki, like Fire, or Ice or Demon! That explains how Sanji can light his leg on fire and how Zoro performs the Asura!

Fact: Oda has given an explanation on "Haki" and has revealed that there are only 3 types. "Kenbunshoku Haki", "Busōshoku Haki", and "Haōshoku Haki". These three types do not indicate certain elemental abilities and are actually of a much broader scope than most fan speculation and theories would aim for. The first is for reading an opponents moves and feelings, the second is for general attack and defense, and the third is for intimidation. So far, nothing has been revealed that would lead Haki towards having Elemental types such as "Fire" or "Ice". Most of that is simply fans seeing that "Haki" retroactively explained Mantra, and are now attempting to use it to explain other unexplained things such as Zoro's Asura or Sanji's Diable Jambe, the latter of these two actually utilising friction according to Sanji's own claims.

Shadowy Figures
Myth: A shadowy figure is someone we met in the past

Fact: Everytime Oda shows a character who is either in shadows or masked, they are always a new character except with the CP9 members before attempting to kill Iceberg. This was one of his recurring habits when it comes to the story, a new character would be shadowed or masked at first before fully revealing them later. However everytime a shadowy figure appears, fans always thought that they have to be someone they saw in earlier chapters. The most famous and recent example is when Kizaru was first introduced, Oda showed us half of his face, fans jumped to the conclusion that it had to be Spandine. Four chapters later, we find out instead that Kizaru is in fact a new character. What adds to the speculations weirdness is the fact that it would not make any sense for a former CP9 leader to be an Admiral, and if Kizaru was Spandine he would have had beard and a paintbrush mustach which Kizaru lacked.

Another example is when Duval was introduced, fans thought he was Don Krieg or any earlier One Piece villains but when he was unmasked he was a new character.

This myth stems from the Lougetown arc when Buggy returned as a cloaked figure, fans believe that Oda would do the same to other older characters or they hoped for older characters to make a comeback whenever a shadowy figure is shown. Two exceptions to this are Crocodile and Mohmoo. Crocodile with his re-introduction in Impel Down (even then is was obvious it was him), and Mohmoo with his re-intoduction in chapter 604.

Devil Fruits' Deepest Roots
Myth: When a Devil Fruit user dies, their body becomes a tree and the fruit respawns from that tree.

Fact: Has never been seen in the series, although Oda has said in SBS that Vegapunk knows what Devil Fruits are. The one thing we can confirm is that no two Devil Fruit powers exist at the same time. That means there is some method of a Devil Fruit coming back, but that piece of information is missing. What can also be noted in in the original Romance Dawn, Version 1 storyline, the Gomu Fruit was the product of the "Gomu Tree". However, as the greater Devil Fruit concept was expanded it is unknown if this was carried across to the finished storyline. Blackbeard was able to aid the stealing of the dead Yonkou Whitebeard's devil fruit powers the Gura Gura no Mi, proving it is at least possible to reuse the powers after the user dies, although the full explanation is unknown right now as to how the Devil Fruits recycle their power otherwise.

The anime has a clip of Devil Fruits rising out from the depths of the sea, but this again also is unconfirmed as anything but a filler scene, but that hasn't stopped some from speculating that this is what happens to the Devil Fruits of user who drown.

Wanze in Ohara
Myth: Wanze, since he expressed many negative sentiments about Robin, such as calling her bad luck and even a hag, must have made those comments due to a personal hate, as an Ohara resident in Robin's flashbacks bears a resemblance to Wanze, and most citizens hated her for being a Devil Fruit user.

Fact: This was seen in Wanze's profile in the Cipher Pol page in Wikipedia in Dec 2005 that Wanze was an Oharan, supposedly to explain the reason why he hated Robin. But Wanze was never in Ohara, and had he been, he would have died on the ship when Akainu destroyed it. Wanze, like many World Governement employees simply does not like her for being a criminal.

Dragon and/or Shanks is Coming to Marineford
Myth: Either Dragon or Shanks or both will come to Marineford to assist Luffy and Whitebeard in rescuing Ace.

Fact: When the War at Marineford begins, some fans assume for quite some time that Dragon and/or Shanks will come to Marineford to help Luffy and Whitebeard save Ace. However, by the time Luffy frees Ace, both Dragon and Shanks are nowhere to be seen. Ace is then killed by Admiral Akainu and Whitebeard is killed by the Blackbeard Pirates.

In one fake spoiler, it showed the revolutionaries holding a camera and being responsible for opening the gate, and were disguised as a bunch of pirates or prisoners.

Shanks would later appear at Marineford to end the war, however, Dragon never arrived.

Blackbeard's Two Devil Fruits
Myth: Blackbeard has a parasitic twin in his belly.

Fact: The reason Marco mentioned an "unusual body type" when speculating how Blackbeard was able to handle two Devil Fruits has yet to be explained.

Myth: A person can control only one devil fruit of each type, but are not limited to the number.

Fact: This has not been proven, however it was not clearly explained by Blueno when he said one's body would destroy itself when one consumes two Devil Fruits.

Myth: Blackbeard will eventually consume a third fruit of the Zoan type since there are three types of fruits and three skulls on his flag.

Fact: While Blackbeard's body allows him to control two Devil Fruits, the possiblity of him controlling a third has yet to be revealed since we do not even know why he can control two.

Myth: Blackbeard has eaten the "Mythical Zoan Type: Cerberus" Devil fruit, and because a Cerberus is a dog with three heads he's able to consume two more Devil fruits. The Cerberus also explains the three skulls in Blackbeard's jolly roger, also how Shank's scar, which was given to him by Blackbeard, has three scratches on it, and how Zoro and Luffy refered to Blackbeard as "they" instead of "he" during the Jaya Arc.

Fact: First of all a fruit with such name has never been confirmed or even mentioned, second the reason Blackbeard has three skulls on his jolly roger has never been explained or given any significance, and third Oda has never confirmed any of the "evidence" given in this. Also, the fact Zoro and Luffy called "they" was the fact they guessed Blackbeard and the other strange people they had seen were together.

Tashigi and Kuina
1. Myth: They are twins!

Fact: Kuina is seen as a baby as an only child in Chapter 0.

2. Myth: They are the same character.

Fact: So far they are only considered different characters and no evidence has been stated to say otherwise since Kuina's body is seen in the manga. This mainly due to the 4Kids changed her death to an injury, in which many fans assumed the injury Kuina sustained was connected to Tashigi's bad eye sight.

Shichibukai
1. Myth: The letter sent to Buggy is meant to inform him of the World Government's decision to make him a Shichibukai

Fact: This is unknown, but the same type of bat that was seen delivering the letter to Buggy was seen delivering the letter containing the decision of World Government to make Jinbe a Shichibukai. However, nothing on the topic of Buggy becoming a Shichibukai has been confirmed.

2. Myth: Jewelry Bonney, being caught by Akainu after a battle with Blackbeard, will be offered the positon of Shichibukai. She and the Marinies both have a grudge against Blackbeard.

Fact: This is unknown.

3. Myth: Other members of the Eleven Supernovas will be offered a position as a Shichibukai.

Fact: This is unknown.

Lola's Mother
Myth 1: Jewelry Bonney, due to her age altering Devil Fruit, is Lola's mother. It is also clear she wishes to confront Luffy in the future.

Fact: Lola mentions that she came from/was born in the New World and so most likely her mother is also in the New World currently or was there before. Since Jewelry Bonney is a rookie and just entered New World she cannot possibly be Lola's mother. Also, the reason why Jewelry Bonney wants to confront Luffy most likely is because of the Tenryubito incident and being responsible for making an Admiral come to Sabaody Archipelago. After getting defeated by Blackbeard, Bonney and her crew were captured by Akainu and the marines.

Myth 2: Big Mam, due to her being one of the Yonkou (since Lola's mother is mentioned to be a mighty pirate), is Lola's mother. The Yonkou are also said to control the New World, where Lola comes from. In addition, Big Mam's jolly roger features stout red lips, the a feature that Lola has.

Fact: This is unknown.

Sabo
Myth: The Supernova, Trafalgar Law, is actually Luffy and Ace's childhood brother, Sabo.

Fact: This weird speculation was quite popular among One Piece forums and discussion boards. However, it would have been more prominent if Law had shown any concern for Ace's predicament, and if Law had shown any reaction to the fact that Ace was killed. Then came the cover art for Chapter 596, showing what Sabo would look like (or does look like) when he is an adult.

Myth: Sabo survived and is with the Revolutionaries.

Fact: Because of one page in the Post-War flashback, many people assume that Sabo is alive and with the Revolutionaries. The evidence for this consists of: (1) Sabo told Dragon he was ashamed to have been born a noble; (2) Dragon was on a nearby island (with Zoro's Dojo) later on the day Sabo's ship was destroyed telling Ivankov to fix up someone who was badly injured; (3) Sabo was never actually seen dead. While this is a good amount of evidence to suppose some foreshadowing, the theory has yet to be confirmed.

Nami has Haki
Myth: Nami can hurt Luffy, she must have Busōshoku Haki.

Fact: Despite being one of the weakest members of the Straw Hats in overall physical strength (the other being Usopp), she still manages to hurt Luffy, who is made of rubber and should be unharmed by physical attacks. Oda explains this is because she "beats up Luffy's spirit", which is basically the purpose of Haki. However, while it's possible for Nami to learn Kenbunshoku Haki, Busōshoku Haki, or even Haōshoku Haki, her ability to injure Luffy is entirely comical. Therefore it should not be taken as a serious display of any abilities she may or may not possess. It must also be noticed that every time a straw hat pirate (with the possible exception of Robin as she had no reason to do so or was never seen doing so) hits Luffy in this manner he displays a bruise briefly afterward, including Usopp, who couldn't harm Luffy with blunt attacks during their more serious duel in Water Seven.

Luffy Inherited Roger's Will
Myth: Since the Will of the D gets passed down, Luffy must have inherited Gol D. Roger's will.

Fact: It is repeatedly stated that Luffy is quite like Roger, by different individuals such as Red-Haired Shanks and Silvers Rayleigh, but it is not certain as of this point in the story whether or not this is true.

Luffy is Gol D. Roger
Myth: Gol D. Roger is an older version of Monkey D. Luffy. It was said that Gol D. Roger had a similar hat to Luffy's.

Fact: Even though someone said that Gol D. Roger's hat is similar to Luffy's, it's an unlikely chance that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Luffy are one in the same. This has been constantly disproved sense Ace is Gol D. Roger's son, but Ace is the adopted brother, and is older, than Luffy. Luffy is the grandson of Monkey D. Garp who cornered the late pirate king multiple times in his youth, and Gol D. Roger being able to escape from Garp, who has defeated Luffy countless times. Another example is in a flash-back, when Garp hair was just turning greyish-white in old age when he speaks with Roger, while Luffy is still very young, Garp's hair is already pure white. However it was once speculated that Luffy is Gol D. Roger's son before Garp revealed that Luffy is actually the son of Monkey D. Dragon. Side Note: Luffy's hat was Gol D. Roger's, who passed it to Shanks and in turn passed it on to Luffy.

Hody Jones
Myth 1: He is related to Arlong.

Fact: This rumor first started in Chapter 608 when he first appears and looked very similar to Arlong. There's no evidence beyond a somewhat similar appearance, though it was a possibility, especially after Den explained about how families can have many different types of decedents. Jones is only shown to be an admirer of Arlong and there is no indication that they are related. This myth is now officially squashed, as he pointed out that Madam Shirley is Arlong's relative (despite that Madam Shirley is a mermaid and Arlong is a fishman).

Myth 2: Hody will die from an overdose of Energy Steroids.

Fact: Since the arc has only just started there is no evidence yet. However his crew has mentioned he regularly takes large amounts of the drug, once taking about 4 pills just to destroy a single ship and crew, but each use shaves time off the person's lifespan, so it is still a possibility. Also he did overdose on Energy Steroids and almost did die, but he survived and mutated into a behemoth of his former self.

Crocodile was a woman
Myth: Ivankov knows a secret from his past, that nobody knows. And Ivankov can change people their gender. In Episode 0, we only see the back of Crocodile's head indicating that he was different back then and we are not allowed to know.

Fact: There is no such thing confirmed. In fact in the latest SBS Oda drew the shichibukai as children and showed Crocodrile as a boy, not a girl.