In a piece author Eiichiro Oda reveals that the true user of Gomu Gomu no Mi was supposed to be Luffy instead

Gomu Gomu no Mi is one of the most important Devil Fruits a piece World, the hero of the series, Monkey D. Luffy uses this power. It can also be said that this is the most important fruit in the entire series, especially as it is directly connected to Sun God Nik. Gomu Gomu no Mi's real name is Hito Hito no Mi, Model Nika. This Devil Fruit allows them to become Sun Gods upon awakening, granting them immense physical abilities, as well as the power to do whatever they want, limited only by their own imaginations.

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One Piece: All Users of Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika, Explanation

Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika has many users. There may be a piece we don't know about it.

As fans know, Luffy ate this devil fruit at a young age. However, it was a different original user of the Devil Fruit, as recently revealed by Oda himself a piece chapter. While Luffy accidentally ended up eating this devil fruit, The most likely user of this fruit was originally Portgas D. Ace.

Luffy Ate The Gomu Gomu no Mi 12 years ago

• Gomu Gomu no Me was stolen by Shanks

• Luffy accidentally ate a devil fruit

As fans know, Luffy ate Gomu Gomu no Mi in the first chapter of the story. In his debut, Shanks had Gomu Gomu no Mee, and according to the Red Hair Pirates, they obtained this fruit from an enemy ship. In the Wano Country arc, fans got more context on how they got this power. Shank manages to attack Who Is Who, defeating him while being transported to a government shipMember of CP9. He received the devil's fruit and kept it to himself.

Shanks and his team then went to Fusha Village, where he spent over a year, and eventually, he met Luffy. One thing led to another and Luffy ate the devil fruit. Soon after, Luffy gained many powers, although he could not fully control them. Shanks inspired Luffy to become a pirate, and years later, he set off on his own journey, and that's the beginning of the One Piece story, as fans know it.

Now, fans have more context as to why Shanks was in Fusha Village. It was always odd seeing Shanks anchor himself to the Eastern Blue for as long as he did. A pirate of Shanks' caliber had no reason to go to the Eastern Blue in the first place, especially since it was the weakest of the four seas.

Shanks also stayed there for about a year, which clearly means he was looking for someone or something. He had already obtained this Devil Fruit by that time, and even if it was, he would not actually eat it himself or let any of his team members eat it. obviously, Shanks was saving this fruit for a certain someone, and that person is none other than Ace, as firmly implied in One Piece chapter 1169.

Ace Gomu was supposed to be the real user of Gomu no Mi

• Shanks believes Ace will be the next Roger

• The Devil's Fruit was reserved for S

in a piece Chapter 1169, Shanks is seen spending some time with Gaban in Elbaf about 14 years ago. It was almost a year before Shanks stole Gomu Gomu no Me from the World Government. During this time, Gabon reveals to Shanks that Roger has a son. It is revealed to Shanks that Garp was raising this child, and Shanks is immediately relieved that Roger's legacy lives on.

At the same time, Shanks also considered Ace his little brother. very clear, Shanks also said that he believes Ace will become the next generation of pirate kingsSomething Gaban did not fully agree with at the time. Despite all of that, what was very clear was that Shanks considered Ace his little brother and he knew that he was going to do Roger's bidding.

Shanks was looking for Roger's son after learning about him from Gabon

Putting two and two together, it's pretty clear that the moment Shanks stole the Devil Fruit and went to East Blue, he already had his sights set on Ace. Shanks was probably looking for Ace during this time, but Garp had him well hidden. The reason he spent a year there was because he was looking for this guy who was hard to find.

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One Piece: Why Gomu Gomu no Me rejected Shanks, explained

Gomu Gomu no Mi is one of the most powerful Devil Fruits in one piece. This rejected Shanks.

Shanks didn't even know his name, so the issue got even more complicated. While Shanks probably found him eventually, Luffy ate the devil fruit before Ace didAnd so the story was set.

It makes even more sense considering Roger's own words. Roger believed that the next person to find a piece would be his own son. Shanks was apparently looking to create a next-generation S. Nika and another Pirate King as well. Unfortunately, he fails in this task, but he finds Luffy, who has now awakened Nika's powers.

Ace was never going to be Nika in one piece

• Zoan fruits have their own will

• Nika Fal chose Luffy

Even if Shanks had found Ace, he certainly wouldn't have been the Nika of this generation. The fact that Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika is a Zoan type Devil Fruit. Zoan Devil Fruits, and possibly all other Devil Fruits as well, have a will of their own. They do not go to people they deem unworthy of their power.

The Nica Devil Fruit in particular eluded the World Government for centuries. It chose Luffy of course because it sensed the same potential in him. Even if Shanks had found Ace, the Devil Fruit would have ignored him because their personalities didn't match and Ace shouldn't have been Nika in the first place. This fruit is always meant for someone like Luffy and so it ended up in his possession.

Still, it's interesting to know Shanks was not only looking for Ace, but also trying to make him the next generation kingAlso the savior of the world. It goes to show how much Shanks took care of Roger's legacyAlso how much he loved taking care of Ace as his younger brother had met him before Ace found the Whitebeard Pirates. Hopefully, Oda will give fans more context on the story line after this one.

Eiichiro Oda's One Piece focuses on the journey of Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates as they travel the seas to claim the great treasure known as One Piece. The manga is now on its final saga. One piece will be featured in this week's Weekly Shonen Jump issue. The official release date of One Piece Chapter 1170 is January 4, 2026. In Japan, One Piece drops on Mondays at 12AM JST, which is 11:00 AM EST, or 8:00 AM PT. Fans can read the chapter for free on the Manga Plus and Shonen Jump apps. Doing this will ensure that fans will always support the author.