Investigating the Truth: Unveiling Oda's Deceptions in One Piece

Author and illustrator Eiichiro Oda's highly successful One Piece manga is renowned for its meticulous worldbuilding. Oda's attention to detail and foreshadowing of significant events is evident throughout the series.

However, there are certain occurrences in One Piece that appear to lack substantial setup or their setup remains unclear even after the events have taken place. These events, particularly those related to the worldbuilding and lore of the series, are easily recognizable despite their lack of apparent preparation.

Oda’s apparent lies to One Piece readers are few and far between, but nevertheless impactful

Considering this perspective, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to suggest that Oda deceived readers through these particular occurrences and their seeming absence of foreshadowing at the time of writing this article. Join us as we delve into each instance when Oda misled the One Piece readership.

1) Imu’s existence and the Gorosei’s power

Clearly, the notion that the Gorosei are the ultimate leaders of the World Government in One Piece is undoubtedly the biggest falsehood. Although Oda never explicitly states this, it is strongly implied through the introduction of the Gorosei, especially considering what fans already knew about the Celestial Dragons.

The Celestial Dragons had already been established as the progeny of the actual rulers of the current world in the series. Subsequently, the Gorosei were introduced as distinguished members of the ruling class of the Celestial Dragons, residing within the colossal palace of Mariejois and seemingly responsible for issuing orders to the Marines and Cipher Pol.

2) One Devil Fruit per person

In the Reverie arc of One Piece, much to the surprise of fans, Oda introduced a character whose power surpasses even theirs. Although Oda didn't explicitly deceive fans, he gave the impression that the Gorosei were the ultimate authority in the World Government, thereby misleading them.

Another blatant falsehood told by Oda to deceive fans in the series was the claim that only one individual could possess a single Devil Fruit power and that they would meet their demise if they dared to acquire a second one. This fabrication was initially uttered by Jabra during the Enies Lobby arc, as he elucidated his reasoning for refusing to consume one of the Devil Fruits being offered to Kaku and Kalifa.

However, this rule was unexpectedly contradicted by Blackbeard, also known as Marshall D. Teech, during the Marineford arc of One Piece. After dealing the final blows to Whitebeard, Blackbeard mysteriously managed to use his Dark-Dark Fruit to steal the powers of Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit. What's more impressive is that he survived this feat and is still alive in the current timeline of the series, even after a time span of over 2 years within the story.

Although there are theories attempting to explain the possibility of this occurrence, which are based on hints provided by Oda in earlier parts of the story, none of them have been confirmed as true as of the writing of this article. The lack of a proper explanation for this feat from Blackbeard so far in the series can be considered one of the few (but certainly significant) instances where Oda has misled readers.

3) Ohara’s legacy

Throughout the majority of One Piece, fans believed that Nico Robin was the lone survivor of the Oharan genocide. This notion was repeatedly affirmed by various characters, including Robin herself and World Government officials. However, the ongoing Egghead Island arc unveiled a surprising twist: Robin is not the sole remainder of Ohara's heritage, nor the only survivor of the genocidal assault. A flashback from Dr. Vegapunk disclosed that both the research books discarded into Ohara's lake and Robin's friend Jaguar D. Saul managed to survive the attack.

The reason this is considered a lie by Oda to One Piece readers is the lack of adequate foreshadowing for these reveals. The primary evidence is that Robin managed to survive the same freezing attack that Admiral Aokiji used on Saul during the Oharan genocide. Regarding the books, they were thrown into a nearby lake adjacent to the island's library, but it was believed that they were ruined as a consequence.

4) Pluton’s blueprints

During the Enies Lobby arc, fans are introduced to Franky, a member of a family of shipwrights residing on Water 7. Throughout both the Water 7 arc and the Enies Lobby arc, it is revealed that this family has inherited the blueprints for the Ancient Weapon Pluton, with Franky supposedly being the current owner of these blueprints.

Once confirmed, Franky destroys the blueprints, leading several members of Cipher Pol to believe that this action ensures the battleship would never return. However, the Wano arc in One Piece uncovers the truth, as Kozuki Sukiyaki reveals that the original Pluton is actually concealed within Wano's borders.

The lack of foreshadowing or prior mention of Pluton's existence makes some readers view this revelation as a fabrication by Oda. The destruction of the weapon's blueprints kept it hidden until its late reveal in the Wano arc. Consequently, this can be considered one of the most significant and impactful deceptions Oda has presented to his readers in the series.

5) Luffy’s Devil Fruit

Oda's most impactful lie to One Piece readers occurred when he deceived them about Monkey D. Luffy's Devil Fruit powers. Surprisingly, there was a subtle buildup by Oda throughout the series, but the true significance only became clear afterwards. Furthermore, the introduction of Sun God Nika, the basis for Luffy's actual Devil Fruit, was hastily rushed in the preceding chapters before this significant revelation. Consequently, it can be argued that Oda's lack of sufficient setup prior to the final moments deprived readers of the opportunity to deduce the truth themselves.

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Editor's P/S

As a Gen Z netizen, I have mixed feelings about Eiichiro Oda's deceptions in One Piece. On the one hand, I appreciate the way he has been able to keep readers on their toes by introducing unexpected twists and turns in the story. The reveal that there are other survivors of the Ohara genocide, for example, was a complete surprise and has opened up a lot of new possibilities for the story. On the other hand, I feel like some of Oda's deceptions have been a bit too misleading. The whole idea that only one person could possess a single Devil Fruit power, for instance, was drilled into readers' heads for years, only to be contradicted later on by Blackbeard. This kind of retconning can be frustrating, as it makes it difficult to trust the information that is presented in the story.

Overall, I think Oda's deceptions have been a positive thing for One Piece. They have helped to keep the story fresh and exciting, and they have prevented it from becoming too predictable. However, I hope that Oda will be more careful in the future about how he uses deception, as it can be a double-edged sword.