Over the years, One Piece has woven an intricate web of interconnected mysteries, at the center of which is the Void Century and the so-called D Clan. The Egghead Arc has further built up the intrigue with the shocking revelation that the world of One Piece is sinking and one theory suggests the devil fruits could be the key to all these mysteries.

One of the most popular theories surrounding Imu is that he could have some connection to the sea. Imu when spelled backwards can be read as “umi” which quite literally means sea or in Japanese and Oda is no stranger to such wordplay. Another popular theory is that Imu could be an umibozu, a Japanese yokai known to disrupt the seas and sink ships. If so, the real reason the World Government is flooding the world of One Piece may be to intentionally weaken devil fruit users, and simultaneously strengthen Imu’s authority.

It is possible that the World Government’s old enemies, the D Clan, and perhaps even the Ancient Kingdom as a whole were made up of devil fruit users, and raising the sea levels and drowning them was the most surefire way to get rid of them for good. If this is true, then it is even possible that the mysterious D initial actually stands for “Devil” which would make them the natural enemies of the gods.

The Devil Fruits are the Real Reason One Piece’s World is Sinking

The World Government is Raising the Sea Levels to Cleanse the World of their Old Enemies

While it seems a bit far-fetched at first that the entire Ancient Kingdom could be made up of devil fruit users, both Professor Clover and Vegapunk have described the Void Century as a battle of opposing ideologies. The devil fruits represent freedom in the truest sense of the word, by making any power imaginable a reality, and the World Government was likely against this unfettered freedom and likely turned to sinking the world to kill them all in one fell swoop.

Vegapunk’s theory on the creation of the devil fruits also paints them as a highly advanced scientific creation rather than a product of magic which suggests it is likely the Ancient Kingdom that brought them into existence along with the Ancient Weapons. The twenty kingdoms may have thus seen the devil fruit users as dangerous or unsightly. If Imu, one of the original twenty rulers, is indeed connected to the sea in some form, then this would also explain the origins of the legend that devil fruits are loathed by the sea.

The fact that none of the Celestial Dragons atop the Red Line possess devil fruit powers also supports this theory. At best, the Celestial Dragons have been seen feeding devil fruits to their slaves as punishment or for entertainment, as seen with Boa Hancock and her sisters. It is even possible that the World Government named them “devil fruits” in an attempt to demonize them. The World Government has done so before when it comes to researching the poneglyphs, going as far as to call the scholars at Ohara devils and branding Nico Robin as a demon child.

The Void Century War Was Between the Devils and the Gods

The Devils of the D Clan Personify the Ancient Kingdom’s Ideals

If so, the war that has been raging since the Void Century may be a conflict between the overly ambitious “devils” and the self-proclaimed “gods” of the world. The World Nobles often refer to themselves as the gods that created the world and clearly view themselves as superior to all other beings and races. Imu too holds himself with reverence, referring to himself in the third person using the pronoun “mu” which suggests he could have been the source of this god complex among the World Nobles.

It is difficult to be sure where exactly the D Clan fit into this grand narrative, though it is likely that they were a group that carried the flag of the Ancient Kingdom’s ideals judging from Lily’s letter. One Piece has introduced many individuals carrying the D initial so far and many of them share the common traits of being free-spirited and ambitious. Though the twenty kingdoms may have branded the Ancient Kingdom as devils, the D Clan likely took the name that was given to them and made it their own; making it a sign of defiance itself.

This would also beautifully explain why Doflamingo refers to the D Clan as the natural enemies of the gods, as it only makes sense thematically that they would be devils. This also supports the concept that anyone can be or become a D if they carry the same set of ideals that oppose the World Government. Many fans have theorized that Nefertari Lily only became a D after she betrayed the World Government and it would surely make sense if the initial stood for devil. This would also explain why members of the D Clan come from several races around the world.

The D Clan are the Devils Destined to Save the World From the Gods

It would certainly be ironic if the so-called devils turned out to be the ones trying to save the world from completely sinking into the ocean. The so-called gods of One Piece, the Celestial Dragons have been nothing short of despicable, causing misery wherever they go. Another layer of irony lies in the fact that the Fiver Elders and even Imu can all seemingly turn into yokai and horrific monsters themselves, despite referring to themselves as gods.

Meanwhile, the supposed devils like Luffy have been bringing joy and freedom to the oppressed and such may be their destiny after all. The final line of Nefertari Lily’s letter, which fans can now assume to be “bear the flag of the dawn against the “sinking” world,” also suggests the D Clan is destined to oppose the World Government’s evil plans to cleanse the world.

That said, there is certainly more to the mystery as things in One Piece are rarely so clear-cut. The Ancient Kingdom cannot be pardoned for creating weapons of mass destruction and it is still questionable why Joyboy wanted to pass down these weapons which is probably where the moral ambiguity Vegapunk mentioned comes in.

Overall, it is clear that One Piece‘s story is gradually evolving into much more than the wacky adventures of a rubber pirate. Vegapunk’s message and the Egghead Arc as a whole have been crucial in setting up the intrigue and raising the stakes for the final leg of the story, and even if fans may not have all the answers to the Void Century just yet, Eiichiro Oda has laid out nearly all the pieces which are simply waiting to be put together.

One Piece is available from Manga Plus and Viz Media.