One Piece is one of the most popular shounen anime among the regular anime-viewers. The secret to its popularity, even after a whooping arsenal of over a thousand episodes, is its ability to hold people hostage by shrouding them in various mysteries. One of the most mysterious aspects of the anime has to be the "Will of D," which has left fans across the world extremely curious.
If you are curious about the same, you've come to the right place. In this article, I will talk about the mysterious Will of D, and we shall discuss its significance in the overall plot of the series.
Keep reading to know more!
The D Clan is an Enemy of The World Nobles
Certain people in the One Piece universe bear the initial D in their names. Our main boy Monkey D. Luffy also has the same, along with various other characters that make an appearance in the series' narrative.
So, let us consider the collective of people bearing "D" in their names as a family and call it the "D Clan" or the "Family of D."
Upon learning that his protege, Trafalgar Law, also has the initial D in his name, Donquixote Rosinante, a former Celestial Dragon, revealed that in a faraway distant land of the One Piece universe,there is a famous legend that is passed around that calls the Family of D the "Natural Enemy of God."
Former Celestial Dragon: Donquixote Rosinante
Now that is a very interesting fact, considering that the Celestial Dragons are considered gods or the World Nobles in the series, making anyone with the initial D his natural enemy. He also revealed that where he came from, the nobles teach their children to behave by telling them that naughty kids will be eaten by D.
Why there is an enmity between D Clan and the Gods is never truly addressed. But we can deduce that it has something to do with the Void Century, the forgotten or lost history before the World Government was established and the Celestial Dragons took control over the world.
So does that mean Celestial Dragons and D Clan have an enmity that exceeds the time of the World Government's reign? Probably so. But even after over a thousand episodes, we do not know why.
What is The Will of D?
Consider this: You've unknowingly inherited a certain fate that binds you with people from across the world, and your ultimate task is to perform certain duties that you're unaware of.
This is precisely what the Will of D appears to be—A concept that brings people together and binds them together, regardless of their blood ties, to bring about a certain fate and destiny.
People with the initial D in their names are often said to have inherited the Will of D. It is said that the Will of D can be inherited by people unrelated by blood or passed down through generations like in the "Monkey D" family.
Upon death, the Will of D never dies and is inherited by others who carry out their duties according to the will.
However, there is not much clarity as to what exactly is the Will of D and what it wants our characters to do. It is fair to say that Will of D has something to do with the Void Century and that the D Clan probably comes from the same timeline.
Various notable characters in the series share the initial D in their names, like the former Pirate King Gol D Roger, the main boy Monkey D Luffy, with his father and grandfather (Monkey D Dragon & Monkey D Garp), etc. They had made their mark in the world in their various interests.
Luffy, Dragon, and Garp from One Piece
Many theories about the Will of D surfaced. But we do not know what the D in their names means. Even the characters seem to be unaware of what it means. Still, we will never be able to confirm our suspicions until Eiichiro Oda, the creator of One Piece, himself confirms it in the series.
He has urged the fans to not think too much about what it means and consider it D for now. He has asked us to wait until he unveils the mystery when the time is right. The letter D has never sparked such interest and curiosity in me.
What Are The Characteristics and Abilities of The D Clan?
There are a lot of similarities that exist among various members of the D clan. Of course, not all of them can have the same abilities. A few characters are an exception to various characteristic features of the characters. We shall discuss them further.
Before we get into that, I wanted to mention that both Luffy and Roger shared the ability to hear the Voice of All Things. None of the other D clan members could do this feat.
1. They Are Charismatic Friend-Magnets
The people who possessed the initial D in their names are seen to be charismatic. They have a certain ability to make friends easily, which has often been proven to be advantageous. However, not all D clan members are as adept at making friends; take Law, for example.
2. They Are Not Afraid of Death
At the moments of death or near-death experiences, they are never afraid and always have a smile on their face. It appears to be a smile of acceptance of death. Gol D Roger died with a smile on his face. Smoker noted that Luffy also had a smile when Buggy was about to kill him.
Luffy smiling moments before almost getting killed by Buggy the Clown
Of course, Blackbeard is an exception to this as he was the only one who displayed emotion of fear upon facing death.
3. They May Be The Only People Qualified to Possess One Piece
This probably explains why no one but Gol D Roger was ever able to discover the treasure of One Piece and become the King of the Pirates. Many strong characters go about the Grand Line in search of the treasure, but none could succeed except for Gol D Roger.
Summary of All Characters With The Name "D"
We have discussed that quite a few characters share the initial D in their names. But who are they? Exactly how many people are they?
Currently, there are about ten people known to have the initial D in their names. There may be more who are laying low, but we cannot tell for certain. Let's learn a little about each member of the D clan of the current One Piece universe.
Monkey D Luffy
Monkey D Luffy is the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates crew. He is the main boy of the One Piece anime and manga series. He has consumed the devil fruit of Gum Gum no Mi, which has turned his body into rubber. His goal is to find the treasure of One Piece and become the King of the Pirates.
Monkey D Dragon
Dragon is Luffy's father and the Supreme Commander of the Revolutionary Army, an organization established to overthrow the World Government (It is a very D clan-like behavior). He was first introduced in the 52nd episode, helping Luffy escape from Buggy and Smoker in Logue Town.
Monkey D Garp
Garp is Luffy's grandfather and a Lieutenant General of the Marines. He strongly dislikes the Celestial Dragons and hence chose to remain a Lieutenant General for over forty years. Astonishingly, the three men of the Monkey D family have all chosen different paths and have caused a stir in their field of work.
Fun fact: He named his son Monkey D Dragon hoping he would defeat the Celestial Dragons.
Gol D Roger
Roger was the infamous Pirate King who had traveled the Grand Line and found the treasure of One Piece. He was born and Executed in Logue Town. Roger's last words before his death revealed that he had left the treasure of One Piece for someone to find.
The King of the Pirates, Gol D Roger
It had led to many people traveling across the Grand Line in search of the mysterious treasure. This marked the beginning of the Pirate Era. Roger also has the highest bounty of5.5 Billion Berries on his head.
Portgas D Rouge
Rouge, the Pirate King's wife, gave birth to their son Ace. She kept Ace in her womb for 20 months so that the Marines won't come after her child for being fathered by Roger. Sadly, she passed away after Ace was born.
Portgas D Ace
Ace is actually the son of the legendary Pirate King Gol D Roger and his wife Portgas D Roger. But after his parents' demise, Garp took him in and brought him up. Later on, he joined the Whitebeard Pirates and became their second captain. Living up to the D in his name, he also died with a smile, just like his father.
Marshall D Teach
Teach, otherwise known as Blackbeard, is the captain of Blackbeard Pirates. Much of his life history is unknown. However, he was also a part of Whitebeard Pirates until he killed a crewmate for a devil fruit called Yami Yami no Mi.
Trafalgar D Water Law
Law seemed like a side character in the beginning but suddenly became a very important character in the series's narrative. Initially, his parents intended to hide that Law had D in his name.
Trafalgar D Water Law, One Piece
When the former Celestial Dragon Corazon learns that Law is also a member of the D clan, he reveals that the D clan and Gods were mortal enemies.
Jaguar D Saul
Saul is actually and giant and became a Lieutenant General in the Navy. However, he quit the Navy when he didn't support their decision against Ohara. Saul having the D initial in his name proves that people outside the human race were also a part of the D clan. The enormous straw hat in Marie Jois helps to aid the fact.
Rocks D Xebec
Xebec is the captain of the Rocks Pirates, a crew known for nurturing some of the strongest pirates like Whitebeard, Big Mom, and Kaido, called the Four Emperors. His strength had remained unrivaled for over forty years. Garp and Roger, other members of the D clan, overthrew his authority.
