Devil Fruit

Devil Fruits are mystical fruits found in the world of One Piece that can give the eater many different and varying kinds of strange and interesting abilities, depending on the type and variation of the Fruit itself.

Information

 * Various people, animals, and objects

About
Devil Fruits are said to be the fruits of the Sea Devil and that the secret to their power is hidden in the Grand Line. Because encounters with them are rare (especially outside the Grand Line), a number of rumors about them have risen, making it difficult to tell whether some things are fact or fiction. The average person knows nothing or very little about what they are or what they do; this especially applies to people in isolated countries, even within the Grand Line, such as those of Amazon Lily, and even Princess Shirahoshi of Fishman Island, as none of them know about Devil Fruits, instead believing the powers bestowed to be curses or sorcery. Because of their power, if sold they can expect to fetch well over 100,000,000 Beli, and Devil Fruit users themselves are sold at market prices as slaves. Of course, individual Fruits each have their differences in price, dependent on the powers bestowed. There are more than 100 types of Devil Fruit.

One running theme with Devil Fruits, however, is the fact that they taste unimaginably bad, to the point of making it seem like the user had taken poison. The Devil Fruit, when consumed, gives the consumer a power or special trait, which they will soon become aware of; a person who has eaten a Devil Fruit and gained its powers is known as a Devil Fruit User (literally meaning "Ability User" or "Esper"). The Fruits come in all different shapes and colors, and all Devil Fruits presumably have swirl marks or patterns on them of some kind. The only known exception is the Devil Fruit made by Vegapunk, which had ring patterns on it. There can be only one of each type of Fruit at a time. Only one bite is needed for the user to gain the power of the Devil Fruit, after which the Devil Fruit becomes a simple, useless, disgusting fruit. Despite this, the majority of those who have consumed a Devil Fruit have eaten the entire Fruit, as they are apparently unaware of this fact. Swallowing the Fruit whole, as Buggy did, has the same effect. Peeling off the skin and eating it piece by piece, such as Kaku and Kalifa did, also works. After ingesting the Fruit, the powers within affect the eater's lineage factor.

Devil Fruits are the origins of the powers of some of the strongest people in the current generation of the world, including rookie pirate crews, Marine admirals, Warlords, and at least two of the Four Emperors, Marshall D. Teach and Charlotte Linlin. They are common in the Grand Line compared to the other four blues. A typical Grand Line Pirate crew will often center around a captain with a Devil Fruit ability (such as the Bellamy Pirates, the Wapol Pirates, or the Foxy Pirates), while stronger crews and organizations will often contain many Devil Fruit users (such as the Whitebeard Pirates, the Donquixote Pirates, Baroque Works, or the Marines). Two of the Four Emperors (Blackbeard and Kaido) even take this so far as to go out of their way to gather as many Devil Fruits as possible using their own unique methods. In fact, since entering the Grand Line, nearly every single major opponent that Luffy has faced had a Devil Fruit ability, while in the East Blue he only faced two (not including Alvida, who ate her Devil Fruit later after their encounter).

Like many series, One Piece follows the trope that a Devil Fruit power also generally affects the clothes that the user is wearing. Paramecia Fruit users alter their clothes along with themselves automatically (for example, Luffy's shirt will never burst a button when his chest is swollen in Gear 3rd, Mr. 1's pants become blades along with his legs, etc.), Zoan Fruit users' clothes will fit in the same proportions after their transformation (Chopper's hat grew big when he was in Monster Point, Jabra's shoes are considerably stretched when in the hybrid form), and Logia Fruit users transform their clothes (and subsequent accessories) to their element along with themselves. However, some users do not seem to adhere to this, such as Jewelry Bonney and Honey Queen, whose clothes do not change proportionally to their powers.

It is implied that this common trait can also be extended drastically, after Devil Fruit powers have been "awakened," where the powers would not only affect a user's clothes but also their surroundings.

Some Devil Fruits may also lead to the user being considered a "freak". This is due to some of the abilities considered far too strange or frightening for normal people to accept.

Superiority and Unpredictability
As noted by Crocodile, there is no way to tell how Devil Fruit powers will fare when pitted against one other. A Devil Fruit user who normally dominates all other powers can sometimes be brought down by a power considered "weak" in comparison; one such example is the Gum-Gum Fruit unexpectedly withstanding the Rumble-Rumble Fruit's powers and the Wax-Wax Fruit unexpectedly holding back the Venom-Venom's powers. Another surprise also came when the Flame-Flame Fruit clashed against the Plume-Plume Fruit, equalizing with each other, and then later against the Chilly-Chilly with the same results. Some Devil Fruits of similar powers have been confirmed to be superior over another, though this in no way means that the superior ability user is stronger than that of the inferior's. Confirmed superiority powers listed as:

Devil Fruit powers are so varied and mysterious, that the powers gained from eating one can serve purposes that may transcend normal limits. Such surprising effects that Donquixote Doflamingo believes he may find one to save Trafalgar Law from the reputably incurable Amber Lead Syndrome, showing that he places more faith in a Devil Fruit of such power than in medical science that failed to find a cure.

Awakening
Devil Fruit powers can, in rare occasions, be "awakened", increasing the abilities of the user. The details of how a Devil Fruit can be awakened are so far unknown, but the increased abilities have been seen to allow significantly more power, as well as new abilities. The effects of the awakening depend on the class of the Devil Fruit.

For Zoan-class powers, awakening grants the users much larger transformations than other Zoan, while also gaining even more physical strength and durability, the latter contributing to a higher recovery rate. The Jailer Beasts of Impel Down are all awakened Zoan users.

For Paramecia-class powers, awakening can allow the power to affect even the surroundings, as opposed to the user's own body.

Identification
The same power of a Devil Fruit can exist more than once, though no two Devil Fruits of the same kind may exist at the same time.

Growth
When a Devil Fruit user dies, their ability is reborn into another Fruit of the same kind. Instead of growing from a plant, the ability simply regenerates inside another existing Fruit, as seen when Smiley "died" and the Sala-Sala Fruit: Axolotl Model transplanted itself into a nearby apple. Another characteristic of a Devil Fruit's growth is that the stem becomes noticeably curlier than it was when the Fruit was not endowed with the ability.

Side Effects of Devil Fruits
With this new power comes a weakness: the sea rejects the new Devil Fruit user and they become helpless while submerged in water (or "become a hammer," in Japanese parlance), similar to how Dragon Slayers get extreme motion sickness when riding on any form of transportation. Though the terminology is usually referring to the inability to swim a more accurate definition is that the sea water itself is the weakness as opposed to the actual motion of the body to move in the sea which simply becomes impossible once one has consumed a Devil Fruit. Not touching the water itself however will allow the user to go unaffected even if submerged, shown when the Monster Trio used diving gear to reach the sunken St. Briss, and again when the Monster Quartet coated themselves in smaller bubbles of Yarukiman Tree Resin bubbles to battle the Kraken. Devil Fruit users are said to be susceptible to all types of water, not just seawater, including the white sea surrounding Skypiea. He elaborated on this, saying that "moving" water, like rain or waves, does not weaken Devil Fruit users, while standing water does. This was also shown first when Monkey D. Luffy was in the Dance-Powder induced rain and did not feel his power slipping away. However, it should be noted that when Luffy was coated in water he was not effected in any way by the water he was holding. Furthermore a Devil Fruit user will not be restricted in the water if he or she is not physically touching the water. Sometimes the power of a Devil Fruit involves water, or at least some state of water, like the bubble power of Kalifa or the ice power of Kuzan. In that case the user will not be weakened by its own state of water but will still be weak against others states of water.

It is not until a Devil Fruit user is knee deep in water that they become immobilized. This is seen with the Gorgon sisters and Luffy in Boa Hancock's bath. Brook was also seen slowly losing his strength as the water levels increased in the floods in Ryugu Palace, demonstrating that being in contact with the sea does not instantly rob their strength unless it reaches a certain level.

Even if a part of the user is submerged, they cannot use their Devil Fruit powers, no matter how much or how little is submerged. However, if the user's body has been permanently altered by the Fruit, then the user's ability can be manipulated by outside sources; e.g., when Luffy was knocked into and sunk to the bottom of the pool at Arlong Park, Genzo and Nojiko dove underwater and stretched his neck so his head would be above water, allowing him to respirate. It should also be noted that although all Devil Fruit users are weak against water, the power itself may still works underwater (for example, Galdino can survive underwater by creating a bowl of wax surrounding him, and the keys he creates can be used to open Seastone handcuffs.) Being weak against the sea proves deadly to many Devil Fruit users who are pirates and Marines sailing the Grand Line. Additionally, the use of a Devil Fruit puts users at odds with races like the fishmen, and some with greater weakness to the sea than normal (such as the Kage Kage no Mi whose zombies are purified with salt) are almost useless against these races. However, the Devil Fruit power will also render a Fishman or Merman just as weak in water as it would anyone else, so this advantage is only applied to one that has not consumed a Devil Fruit themselves.

Seastone, a special substance that emits the same energies of the sea, can also cancel out Devil Fruit powers through physical contact with the user. How weakened the user's movements become depends on how much physical contact the user has with the Seastone. In addition, all other Devil Fruit users will have their powers nullified when they are grabbed by the user of the Dark-Dark Fruit.

One rumor, as recounted by Jabra, is that Devil Fruits house actual devils that will fight when placed in proximity of one another. The resulting battle would destroy the users' bodies. Nevertheless, Blueno contradicted this claim, stating that Grand Line scientists have noted that the phenomenon of one's body destroying itself only occurs when one consumes two Devil Fruits.

Consequences and Consumption
The main attraction of eating a Devil Fruit is the power bestowed upon the user, with many spending their entire lives seeking out just one specific Devil Fruit. More often than not, the benefits and uses bestowed by power far outweight the loss of the ability to swim. However, due to lack of information known by most, and with Devil Fruits that are still unknown, the average consumer plays Russian Roulette when consuming one, without knowing what Devil Fruit it may be. With no way of removing the curse, all Devil Fruits users are labeled as "freaks", "Devils", and "monsters" for the remainder of their lives. All Devil Fruit users have to be trained to a certain degree, from simple activation control to full combat techniques.

Another problem with the Devil Fruits is that a few of them offer "weird" or "useless" powers. While many citizens can be fascinated by their powers, others may leave a consumer leading a miserable life full of discrimination from those around them. However, due to the lack of information within some societies and cultures, misconceptions on how this power was achieved can lead to manipulation of individuals for that user's own purposes.

Artificial Devil Fruits
Dr. Vegapunk, a Marine scientist, is heavily responsible for the research into the effects of Devil Fruits' and Seastone. His research has also led him to devise a method that allows an inanimate object (such as a gun or a sword) gain the effects of a Devil Fruit (it has not yet been shown how this is done and this has been only done with Zoan types that transform the weapon into an animal). He also managed to replicate the effects of one Fruit to a certain degree, and has even created a synthesized Devil Fruit, though it was said to be flawed.

Caesar Clown stated that he has done numerous experiments on his own Devil Fruit, insinuating that he managed to enhance its power after consumption. He has not yet explained what his research was or how he did it though. He also managed to create his own version of artificial Devil Fruits, whereas Vegapunk failed; these are restricted to the Zoan class, named Smile.

Rumble Balls
Main Article: Rumble Balls Tony Tony Chopper, during his six year apprenticeship under Dr. Kureha, created a drug called the "Rumble Ball" that enhances the effects of his Devil Fruit. Thus far he is the only one shown to have consumed it. According to him, the Rumble Ball disrupts the wavelengths of Devil Fruit forms. It is implied that the "Rumble Ball" will activate when consumed by any Zoan type Devil Fruit user, albeit with different but slightly similar effects. After two years of training and research, Chopper was able to replicate the Rumble Ball's effect without having to consume any at all (except in the case of his Monster Point, which now requires only one and is under his full control).

Paramecia
Main Article: Paramecia

The most common of the three types, Paramecia-type Devil Fruits offer their users superhuman physical abilities or traits, such as shock wave generation and locking onto targets. Other Devil Fruits can alter features of the body such as a rubber physique or a body of blades, or the people, objects, and environment around the user, like levitating objects or turning people into toys. Finally, there are some users that can manipulate and generate some kinds of substances, such as wax and poison.

Zoan
Main Article: Zoan

The users of Zoan-type Devil Fruits gain the ability to transform into an animal (and acquire every trait affiliated with said animal). The user can also transform into a human-animal hybrid form or a twin-beast hybrid. Zoan Fruits can also be transferred into weapons, such as guns or swords. There are Zoan Devil Fruits based not only on common animals, but also on prehistoric animals like dinosaurs and mythological creatures as well (ancient and mythological are rarer than the typical Zoan Fruit, with mythological said to be even rarer than Logia Devil Fruits).

There also exist artificially manufactured Zoan Devil Fruits, fashioned by Vegapunk and Donquixote Doflamingo. While Vegapunk's Fruit was a failure, Doflamingo's Fruits, renamed "SMILEs", were a success. They are manufactured in his factories using Caesar Clown's SAD, and sold to big names of the sea. Kaido of the Yonko even used them to create an army of Devil Fruit users.

Logia
Main Article: Logia

The rarest of the three Devil Fruit types, Logia-type Devil Fruits offer their users the ability to transform themselves into an element, whether it be solid elements like ice or sand, liquids like mud or syrup, gases like smoke and poison gas, forms of plasma (in some cases, energies) like fire and lightning, or into a materialization of abstract concepts such as darkness. This can effectively make them intangible, making physical attacks harmlessly go through them, or allow them to be able to absorb the attack completely. They also gain every ability related to that element (such as in the case of sand where moisture can be absorbed or lightning where the user can travel through objects like electricity does) and gain the skill to disperse, control, and rejoin any part of their bodies while conscious and in control of their powers (including explosions, bullet wounds or cuts). Logia users can move every part of their transformed bodies while in element form.

Trivia

 * Marshall D. Teach is the only person to assimilate a Devil Fruit power from a corpse of another Devil Fruit user. He is also the only person to have two Devil Fruit powers at the same time, and is currently adding more to his arsenal.
 * Certain Devil Fruits are noted to be unique or special, even for their respective classes. Such include the:
 * Tremor-Tremor Fruit, which is called the strongest Paramecia, equal to a Logia.
 * In the real world (in english), "Logia" is plural for Logion which is a saying attributed to Jesus Christ and "Zoan" which is a biblical name for Tanis. And "Paramecia" is plural for Paramecium which a single-celled fresh water animal.