A Prototype One Piece Character Foreshadowed the Series' Biggest Twist 30 Years in Advance

Summary Oda's early character prototype predicted One Piece's biggest twist 30 years in advance through the Rubber Tree Spirit.

The Rubber Tree Spirit may have foreshadowed Luffy becoming the mythical Sun God, Nika, with awakened Devil Fruit powers.

Oda's attention to detail and complex character backgrounds make One Piece a beloved and standout masterpiece in the anime world.

One of Eiichiro Oda’s first editors recently released an image of One Piece’s prototype characters, one of which foreshadowed the series’ biggest twist 30 years in advance. One Piece has become one of the most prominent animated series of all time, representing not only the Shōnen genre but the anime industry as a whole. While it’s difficult to imagine the Straw Hat Crew any differently, a 30-year-old prototype of Oda’s masterpiece has been circulating on social media, proving that while the story could have been much different, the heart of One Piece has always been present.

The character sheets posted on @pewpiece’s Twitter (X) account give fans a glimpse into much more than the Straw Hat’s original designs. For example, long before the characters’ designs were finalized, Zoro and Sanji (named Ryuma and Romeo at the time) were known for their constant bickering, as seen at the bottom right of the second page.

In addition, although One Piece is famous for its goofy art style and humor, Oda has consistently ensured that the heart of the story remains prominent, as proved by the prototype characters he drew when he was just 19 years old.

30 years ago, Oda already had the storytelling abilities of an industry veteran. His first prototype of the series fans know and love, Forward, follows the adventures of Monkey D. Pao, an optimistic pirate boy whose bandana resembles the iconic Gomu Gomu no Mi Fruit. Along the way, he meets a group of misfits, who later join his crew: a girl-thief, Rezel, Ryuma, a master Samurai, and Romeo, a knight of the King. However, a minor detail included in the bottom corner of the drawing actually predicted One Piece’s biggest twist 30 years in advance: The Rubber Tree Spirit.

How a Scrapped One Piece Character Inspired the Series’ Most Important Figurehead

The Rubber Tree Spirit, Found on an Early One Piece Character Sheet, May Have Predicted the Appearance of Nika

An additional character is depicted in the bottom left corner of the character sheet’s first page. The name “Rubber Tree Spirit” is written just above the man’s head, along with his age: a walloping 5008 years old. Furthermore, like countless other One Piece characters, the Rubber Tree Spirit is also given a distinct laugh, indicated by the interjection, “WA HA HA HA HA HA.”

While the drawing is seemingly insignificant compared to the series’ stars, such as Monkey D. Pao or Ryuma, the Spirit of the Rubber Tree may have foreshadowed One Piece’s biggest twist: Nika and the Devil Fruit Awakenings.

During the iconic Wano Country arc in One Piece, Luffy awakens the full potential of his Devil Fruit powers at last. As a result, he was transformed into the powerful Sun God, Nika, who gives its power to the Gomu Gomu Fruit, originally called the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika. Now that Luffy possesses the same abilities as Nika, he is able to do the unthinkable and turn imagination into reality.

The Gomu Gomu No Mi’s Ancient History: Nika the Sun God and the Rubber Tree Spirit

The Origins of Monkey D. Luffy’s Rubber Powers

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While most secrets of the Devil Fruits still have to be unveiled, it's been hinted, especially in connection to their "awakening", that they carry the spirit and inherited will from the past, including some mythological beings. Nika was a mythical warrior with the power of a rubber-like body and the ability to spread joy. His story, documented in ancient texts, has been largely erased by the World Government.

While the Spirit of the Rubber Tree was scrapped in the earliest stages of One Piece’s story, the idea of Luffy gaining the powers of an ancient being remains prominent in the plot. Thus far, the Nika fruit has been owned by the mysterious Joyboy, before making its way to Monkey D. Luffy.

The story of One Piece is engaging, uplifting, and meaningful. However, these qualities are not the only thing that makes the story so beloved by anime fans worldwide. It is the care and attention to detail that Oda has given to his characters and world-building that makes his masterpiece stand tall above the rest. 30 years in advance, Oda was already planning the complex background of Monkey D. Luffy’s abilities, which would later become One Piece's most significant plot twist.

Source: @pewpiece on Twitter (X)