This article contains spoilers from the One Piece series.
Gomu Gomu no Mi is one of the most important devil fruits in the country One piece world, given that the main character 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 since it is directly associated with the Sun God Nika. Gomu Gomu no Mi's real name is Hito Hito no Mi, model Nika. This Devil Fruit allows a person to become a Sun God upon awakening, granting them immense physical abilities as well as the power to do anything they want, limited only by their own imagination.
One Piece: All Hito Hito no Mi Users, Model: Nika, Explained
Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika has more users. We may not know more about it in One Piece.
As fans know, Luffy ended up eating this devil fruit at a very young age. However, this devil fruit had another original user, as recently revealed by Oda himself One piece chapter. While Luffy ended up accidentally eating this devil fruit, the most likely user of this fruit was originally Portgas D. Ace.
Luffy ate Gomu Gomu no Mi 12 years ago
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Gomu Gomu no Mi was stolen by Shanks
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Luffy accidentally ate a devil fruit
As fans know, Luffy ended up eating Gomu Gomu no Mi in the very first chapter of the story. In his debut, Shanks had a Gomu Gomu no Mi with him, 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. While being transported on a government vessel, Shanks manages to attack him after defeating Who's Whomember of CP9. He obtained the Devil Fruit and kept it for himself.
I ate Gomu Gomu no Mi, so now I'm a gummy bear. Look how far I can stretch. — Monkey D. Luffy
Shanks and his gang then went to Foosha Village where he spent over a year and eventually met Luffy. One thing led to another and Luffy ate the devil fruit. Immediately after, Luffy gained immense powers, though he was unable to fully control them at first. Shanks inspired Luffy to become a pirate and set off on his own journey years later, and this is the beginning of the One Piece story as fans know it.
Now fans have more context as to why Shanks was in Foosha Village. It was always a bit odd to see Shanks anchor East Blue for as long as he did. A pirate of Shanks' caliber had no reason to go to the East Blue at all, especially considering 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. At that time, he had already obtained this devil fruit, and although he had it, he did not actually eat it himself or let any of his crew consume the fruit. Clearly, Shanks has been saving this fruit for a certain someone, and that person is none other than Ace, as heavily hinted at in One Piece Chapter 1169.
Ace was supposed to be the true user of Gomu Gomu no Mi
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Shanks believed that Ace would be the next Roger
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The devil fruit was saved for the ace
IN One piece Chapter 1169, Shanks was seen spending some time with Gaban in Elbaf, about 14 years ago. It was about a year before Shanks stole the Gomu Gomu no Mi from the World Government. During this time, Gaban revealed to Shanks that Roger had a son. It was revealed to Shanks that Garp was raising this child, and Shanks immediately felt the pleasure of knowing that Roger's legacy lived on.
What? Did Captain Roger have a son? He did a great job of staying hidden from the Navy. I bet he'll be the next pirate king! – Shanks Gaban
At the same time, Shanks considered Ace his little brother. quite clearly Shanks also stated that he believed Ace would become the Pirate King of the next generationwhich Gaban did not quite agree with at the time. Regardless of all of this, it was very clear that Shanks considered Ace his little brother and knew that he would carry on Roger's will.
Shanks searched for Roger's son after learning about him from Gaban
Putting two and two together, it's pretty clear that by the time Shanks stole the Devil Fruit and went to East Blue, he was already targeting Ace. Shanks was most likely looking for Ace during this time, but Garp hid him well. The reason he spent a year there was because he was looking for this boy who was quite hard to find.
One Piece: Why Gomu Gomu no Mi Rejected Shanks Explained
Gomu Gomu no mi is one of the most overpowered Devil Fruits in One Piece. That turned Shanks off.
Shanks didn't know his name either, making the matter even more complicated. While Shanks would most likely find him eventually, Luffy ended up eating the Devil Fruit before Ace didand so the story was set up.
This makes even more sense when we consider Roger's own words. Roger believed that the next person to find the One Piece would be his own son. Shanks was clearly trying to make Ace Niko the next generation as well as the next Pirate King. Unfortunately, he fails in this task, but eventually finds Luffy, who has now awakened the power of Nika.
Ace would never become Nika in one piece
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Zoan Fruits Have a Will of Their Own
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The Nika fruit chose Luffy
Even if Shanks found Ace, he would most certainly not become this generation's Nika. The fact is that Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika is a Zoan Devil Fruit. Zoan Devil Fruits, and most likely all other Devil Fruits as well, have a will of their own. They do not go to people who think they are not worthy of their power.
The Devil Fruit niche specifically eluded the world government for centuries. It definitely chose Luffy because it only sensed the same potential in him. Even if Shanks found Ace, the Devil Fruit would avoid him because their personalities don't match and Ace shouldn't have been Nika in the first place. This fruit was always meant for someone like Luffy and therefore ended up in his possession.
Still, it's interesting to know Shanks not only looked out for Ace, but also tried to make him the king of the next generationas well as the savior of the world. It will show how much Shanks cared about Roger's legacyand also how much he would like to take care of Ace since his younger brother would have met him before Ace found the Whitebeard Pirates. Hopefully Oda will give fans more context later in the story.
Eiichiro Oda's One Piece focuses on the journey of Monkey D. Luffy and the straw pirates who sail the seas to claim the great treasure known as One Piece. The manga is currently in its Final Saga. One Piece will be featured in Weekly Shonen Jump this week. The official release date for One Piece Chapter 1170 is January 4, 2026. In Japan, One Piece drops on Monday at 12:00 PM JST, which is 11:00 AM EST or 8:00 AM PT. Fans can read this chapter for free on Manga Plus and Shonen Jump apps. This ensures that fans will always support the author.
