One of the most intriguing aspects of the One Piece Manga is the Devil Fruits, which grant their users unique and often bizarre abilities. Next to nothing is known about the origin of these fruits and their users, yet they play a huge part in developing the story of the One Piece world.
In this blog post, we will answer the question : Who had the Gomu Gomu no Mi Before Luffy ?In delving into the history of the Gomu Gomu no Mi and uncover the identity of its previous owner(s).
From the admirals to the Yonko and the Warlords, each group has strong Devil fruit users, as Devil fruits are the most powerful weapons in One Piece. The Gomu Gomu no Mi, or the Gum-Gum fruit as it is known, is one such fruit that is integral to the series, as it gives the main character, Monkey D. Luffy, his rubber powers. But have you ever wondered who possessed this fruit before Luffy? What was it used for, and what is its potential?
I have been following One Piece since 2008 and will be your guide. So, take a seat, and let’s sail!
The Gomu Gomu no mi throughout the manga
We first got introduced to Luffy’s Gum-Gum fruit in the first chapter of the manga, where it was revealed that eating this fruit turned Luffy’s body into rubber. It was the first devil fruit to have ever been introduced in the manga, and as such, it holds a special position in the series.
The Gum-Gum fruit has been referenced in almost every single episode or chapter Luffy has been in because Luffy announces all his attacks with the prefix, Gum-Gum. Though the manga never stated the existence of any previous users of this fruit, we do get a regular amount of information regarding its abilities. Another interesting fact about the Gum-Gum fruit in the manga is that it’s not the Gum Gum Fruit at all.
It is, in fact, the mythical Zoan type, Human-Human fruit, model Sun God. Which gives its users the power to turn their imagination into reality. It would not be easy to imagine what kind of character would have that power.
How did Luffy get the Gomu Gomu no Mi?
Another detail that we clearly know about is the fact that the fruit came from Shanks, and as we know, now it was stolen from the navy and the world government. We know this because Who’swho explains it to Jimbei. We also know that it was Lucky Roo from Shanks’ crew who got the fruit.
Another interesting element is that Shanks immediately knew the fruit’s name, meaning he knew what fruit it was and what it did. Even if he only knew the name, this means that the Gomu-Gomu no mi is in the devil fruit encyclopedia. That makes it logical to conclude that someone ate it in the past, recorded its powers, and wrote down that information. So, Shanks stole it from the government and most likely knew who its last user was.
The last revelation about the Gomu Gomu no Mi
As I said before, the most recent revelation about the fruit was that its name was a coverup, and it is a much stronger fruit. That lets us know that one of the fruit’s oldest users was the original Joyboy himself. We know this is because Gear 5 is called “Joyboy. »
So, in light of the recent revelation regarding the Gomu-Gomu no mi, we can pretty confidently say that even if it wasn’t immediately before Luffy, at some point, in the distant past.
Joyboy was the user of the Gomu-Gomu no me. Because he brought smiles to children’s faces. Now, if this revelation tells us anything, it means that there might have been many users who never knew what their fruit actually was and what it could do, thinking it was lowly paramecia. Yet it turned out to be the greatest mind I ever knew.
The impact of this devil fruit in the storyline
The Gum Gum fruit, as Luffy’s devil fruit, has an insane amount of impact on the story. The world government has been chasing it for 800 years, and it was the arrival of the Red Haired pirates with the fruit that ultimately led to Luffy eating the fruit and starting his journey.
So, in a way, the Gum-Gum fruit started Luffy’s journey. It also remains the most frequently mentioned devil fruit in the series.
Who possessed the Gomu Gomu no Mi before Luffy?
Now, we come to the real question, who, in fact, had this fruit before Luffy. There are more than one answers to that question, and they will all be discussed.
Theories and Speculations
There are many theories regarding this one, and one of the most popular is. Portgas.D.Rouge, Ace’s mother. Fans speculate that she simply could not have carried Ace around, in her womb, for 20 months; based on shere willpower alone, she needed an ability like the gomu-Gomu no mi to happen.
There is also a theory saying Roger had it, but we now know Roger had no devil fruit. Fans also speculate that it could have been a marine who had this fruit before Luffy. Regardless, whoever had it, what matters is that Luffy now uses it as his own.
Exploration of the possibilities
The most likely possibility is Rouge. She was married or may have been to Roger, and she carried a child in her womb for 20 months, over twice the usual time, so I believe that possibility of her having that kind of powers.
Also, we know that Shanks was the One who took the fruit from the government, maybe because he knew Rouge and wanted to reclaim the fruit in her memory.
Evidence from the series
In the series, we have seen parallels between Luffy and Joyboy. Maybe that was foreshadowing, so that takes care of Joyboy being an old user.
But again, the feat of carrying a child for 20 months while also keeping him safe in her womb means she could fight. So for the previous owner of the Gum-Gum fruit, my money is on Portgas.D.Rouge.
Who had the Gomu Gomu no Mi Before Luffy ? Final words :
And so, we went over what we know and what we have been told. Luffy’s fruit is beyond extraordinary, so we needed an extraordinary predecessor, which both Joyboy and Rouge can be.
Based on gear 5 and Rouge carrying Ace. We reach the conclusion that Rouge was the previous user of the Gum-Gum fruit before Luffy and that Joyboy used it centuries ago.
