10 of the best plot twists in One Piece

One Piece‘s initial pitch is quite straightforward. It’s about a young boy wanting to become the Pirate King and be the freest man in the world. Luffy’s dream is still the same. However, the journey going there has been far from simple. He and the Straw Hats have faced numerous dilemmas, fought countless enemies, and experienced plenty of hardships. Given the Straw Hats’ long journey, there have been numerous plot twists in One Piece.

However, not all surprises are of equal value. Some are relatively mild, while others have literally made the fandom go wild. Here are ten of the best plot twists in One Piece.

Duval’s face reveal

Back when the Straw Hats were just rising in notoriety, their big rookie bounties had an unfortunate victim. At the time, all the Straw Hats had good portraits for their bounty posters except Sanji. Stupidly enough, it was just because the photographer forgot to remove the lens. As such, Sanji got a drawn portrait instead.

At first, it seemed like the gag was just Sanji’s botched portrayal. However, things took a more humorous turn during the Sabaody Archipelago Arc. Iron Mask Duval and his henchmen hounded and terrorized the Straw Hat Pirates for unknown reasons. Only when Duval removed his iron mask did everything make sense. It turned out he had the same ugly mug as the one in Sanji’s poster, making him a target of many bounty hunters. To this day, it remains one of the best One Piece gags.

The real identity of CP9

Cipher Pol 9 or CP9 is undeniably one of the hardest opponents the Straw Hat Pirates faced in the series. They were not only strong, but they were incredibly sly as well. They first disguised themselves as Galley-La Company employees to get closer to Iceberg. When the Straw Hats appeared, they launched their sinister plan. They attempted to assassinate Iceberg, pin the blame on the Straw Hats, and then arrest Robin.

At the time, it was unclear who would assassinate Iceberg, especially since he was beloved by many. Furthermore, the CP9 wasn’t on the immediate suspect list. After all, they all seemed like dedicated shipwrights. They took their jobs seriously, even giving an honest assessment to the Going Merry. When they finally revealed their true identities, it shocked both the characters and the fans.

Laboon and Brook’s connection

Fans of the series felt a rollercoaster of emotions upon learning Laboon’s backstory. After all, the humongous whale had been self-harming in pursuit of its lost comrades. The worst part was that the pirate group it was patiently waiting for had long perished. Fortunately, Luffy wasn’t one to let things end on such a sad note. He fought Laboon in a duel and ended it on a standstill. This move gave the whale a reason to stop headbutting the mountain, as well as a new pirate group to wait for.

Just as everyone thought the next time Laboon would be relevant was at the end of the series, a huge bomb that was Brook dropped in. In addition to Brook’s backstory being one of the saddest in the series, fans were once again hit with a tsunami of conflicting emotions.

Ace dying in Marineford

The Marineford Arc is undeniably one of One Piece’s best arcs. Not only were many revelations made in that arc, but so many things happened happened as well. Ace’s capture was the main driving point of the arc’s plot. In order to save his brother from imminent death, Luffy literally went through hell. He infiltrated Impel Down, only to miss Ace by a hair’s breadth. Afterward, he pushed through to Marineford with some of Impel Down’s worst inmates.

Even after arriving at Marineford, Luffy didn’t get any break. He teamed up with the Whitebeard Pirates and their cohorts to save Ace, and he eventually managed to free him. Ace even had a brief moment in the spotlight after being liberated. But just as everyone thought it was happily ever after, Oda pulled a fast one. Akainu managed to hit Ace’s sore spot, stalling the released convict. This brief encounter ultimately allowed Akainu to deal the killing blow to him.

Blackbeard possesses two Devil Fruits

Another big revelation that occurred during the Marineford Arc was Blackbeard’s sly move. After the fight between the Whitebeard Pirates and the Marines was about concluded, the Blackbeard Pirates appeared to reap some benefits. They ultimately ended Whitebeard’s life by shooting him countless times. Upon the Emperor’s death, they covered him with a cloth. Blackbeard then did a mysterious procedure, wherein he ended up acquiring Whitebeard’s Tremor-Tremor Fruit.

Since it was established that only one Devil Fruit ability could be possessed at any given time, Blackbeard’s feat was certainly groundbreaking. The reason how Blackbeard can pull this off remains a big mystery.

Sanji’s family lineage

For the longest time, Sanji’s family lineage remained unknown. His initial backstory had always been the time when he got stranded on an island with Zeff. As such, the fandom recognized Zeff to be his father, albeit not by blood. However, the revelation of his true family sent waves across the fandom in more ways than one. It was initiated by his new bounty poster stating “Only Alive” instead of “Dead or Alive”. Then, it was revealed that he was a prince from the North Blue, specifically a prince of the Germa Kingdom.

What makes this revelation one of the best plot twists in One Piece is that fans have long theorized about this possibility. Some details that pointed to it were Sanji’s hair, his knowledge of Noland’s story, his chosen alias of Mr. Prince, and the lack of information about his real family.

Sabo is alive

It is clear how much Luffy valued his brother with his reaction to Ace’s death. However, it wasn’t the first time he lost a brother. During his time with Dadan, he actually had two sworn brothers: Ace and Sabo. After being acknowledged by the two, they started operating as a trio. They even promised to form their own pirate crew and constantly argued as to who should be the captain.

Due to his circumstances, Sabo was the first to set sail. However, he crossed paths with a Celestial Dragon’s ship, and his tiny boat was shot down. It was then thought that he met his untimely end. During the Dressrosa Arc, however, he made an appearance in the Corrida Colosseum. He then revealed his true identity to Luffy, resulting in the latter’s cascade of happy tears.

Kanjuro is a traitor

Wano was the longest arc in One Piece yet. Reasonably, it had numerous plot twists. The first of the many groundbreaking ones is the revelation of Kanjuro’s true allegiance. He was one of the Nine Red Scabbards, who are supposed to be Wano’s hope. However, he turned out to be a Kurozumi and a loyal follower of Orochi. He acted as a spy, relaying the Scabbards’ plans to Kaido and his allies.

It was a very impactful revelation as Kanjuro was the second Scabbard to make a debut. With his poor artistic skills, some fans even grew a liking to him. However, the instant hate on his character simply proves how good of a plot twist it was.

Kyoshiro is Denjiro

While Kanjuro’s acting was brilliant, he wasn’t the only double agent in the saga. Kyoshiro debuted as one of Orochi’s deadliest lackeys. He was a yakuza boss and the leader of the Kyoshiro Family. His main responsibility was being Orochi’s bodyguard and money changer. But when almost all hope was lost, he revealed his true identity. He was actually Denjiro, one of the Nine Scabbards. Due to his grief of losing his beloved allies, his facial structure and his hair color changed.

During the fateful night when the Scabbards and their allies were to storm Kaido’s den, Kanjuro revealed his true identity. He also confessed to sabotaging their plans, basically crushing the resistance before it even occurred. Denjiro’s blind faith in Kin’emon, however, saved the day. He misinterpreted the secret message and sent the ships before Kanjuro could intercept them. As such, the ambush succeeded with a heartful reunion as an added bonus.

Luffy’s Devil Fruit is actually the Human-Human Fruit, Model: Nika

Luffy’s Devil Fruit has always been known as the Gum-Gum Fruit, which is said to turn its user into a Rubber Human. But still, during the Wano Arc, we are given a literal our whole life is a lie moment. Luffy managed to Awaken his Devil Fruit abilities during the fight with Kaido, allowing him to enter into Gear 5. His whole demeanor changed, and his hair and clothes turned white.

In this form, Luffy could affect not only himself but also his opponents and surroundings. He can alter reality in a cartoonish sense. After the fight with Kaido, it was then revealed that the Gum-Gum Fruit never existed. In fact, Luffy’s Devil Fruit is the Mythical Zoan Human-Human Fruit, Model: Nika.

---