One Piece: Kaido Never Used His Real Potential and 1 Subtle Hint by Eiichiro Oda Proves It – Is He Really Dead?
The question of whether Kaido ever awakened his Devil Fruit power had the One Piece fandom divided for a long time. The former Yonko, Kaido of the Beasts, is one of the strongest opponents faced by the Straw Hat Pirates, so it was naturally assumed that he would possess ‘awakening’, the highest level of the Devil Fruit ability. However, the manga never confirmed that Kaido was using his awakened form, leading to a huge debate among fans.
As the name suggests, Devil Fruits are notorious in the One Piece world and lend unfathomable powers to those who consume it. Scattered throughout the world, although mostly seen within the Grand Line, Devil Fruits are one of the major plot devices in One Piece. Kaido, known as the ‘world’s strongest creature’ also consumed a Devil Fruit, but whether he has unlocked ‘awakening’ or not was the biggest question in the One Piece fandom.
Did Kaido Awaken His Devil Fruit?
Chapter #1069 of One Piece finally revealed the mystery surrounding Kaido’s ability. Luffy and the Straw Hats encounter Rob Lucci on Egghead Island who has also consumed a Zoan-type Devil Fruit (Neko Neko no Mi, Model: Leopard). While Luffy and Lucci engage in a battle, Lucci reveals his newly ‘awakened’ form, which confirms that Kaido never awakened his Devil Fruit.
Lucci, in his ‘awakened’ form, appears more slender than his Human-Beast Form. However, what stands out more is the distinctive puffs of smoke around his shoulders like other Zoan-type users, Luffy and Yamato. Kaido never displayed these puffs of smoke around his shoulders, and although he had flame rings around his arms, Momonosuke had similar features. This indicates that Kaido never really awakened his Devil Fruit.
Throughout the series, there have been quite a few Zoan-type Devil Fruit users such as Luffy, Kaido, Sengoku, Marco, and the Five Elders. They’re thought to be among the strongest Devil Fruit users and are characterized by the puffs of smoke around their shoulders, which was never displayed by Kaido.
Why Did Kaido Never Awaken His Devil Fruit?
To figure out why Kaido never awakened his Devil Fruit abilities, refer to Eiichiro Oda‘s notes about Gear Fifth, published in the special Road To Laugh Tale vol. 4. Oda mentions that a key aspect of Luffy’s awakening is ‘the power of imagination’.
During his battle against Luffy on Onigashima, Kaido described Devil Fruit’s awakening as “when a Devil Fruit user’s mind and body catch up to their powers.” Kaido showed his disdain toward Devil Fruits players. He said that the greatest method to rule the world is to possess Haki, a strength that comes from willpower rather than desire. This indicates that Kaido was less likely to fully master all of his Devil Fruit skills, including the awakening, because of his reliance on Haki.
Is Kaido Really Dead?
After Luffy defeats Kaido, a question that troubles all fans is whether Kaido is dead or not. Despite landing in a volcano filled with lava, fans have a hard time believing that Kaido is truly dead. This may be because Luffy does not kill his enemies; he has a penchant for simply defeating them and moving on with life.
However, some fans speculate that this could be the first time Luffy has killed someone, because surely landing in a lava-filled volcano is bound to kill anyone, even the strongest creature in the world.
Although Kaido was defeated by Luffy, nothing has been confirmed by Oda thus far. So, whether Kaido is truly alive or not remains to be seen by fans of One Piece.
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