IT WAS NOT SHANKS ALL ALONG! One Piece SBS Volume 114

In the previous One Piece SBS Volume 113, Oda confirms that Queen is indeed Franky’s father and the existence of the Rosward family well as explore York’s ambitions and Bonney’s age.

On March 3, we got Volume 114 and thus its SBS section.

Question 1: Confirmation of Previous Devil Fruit Owners

The first question talks about something that has been implied but not 100% overtly shown and it is on whether the Rocks Pirates were the previous owners of Devil Fruits we have seen throughout the series.

Question 1: Hello Oda-sensei!! About Captain John and Ganzui of the Rocks Pirates!!! Aren’t they the previous users of the Jiki-Jiki no Mi (Kid’s Fruit) and the Bomu-Bomu no Mi (Mr. 5’s Fruit)?? but their usage was a bit different..!!? Is “Gil Bastar” (Interim) the previous Horo Horo no Mi (Perona’s Devil Fruit) user?? Did this person use negative hallows?

Answer: That’s right! They are all previous users and are already dead. These three appeared once as General Zombies during the Thriller Bark Arc, but well, it doesn’t really matter. There isn’t a fixed way to use an ability; the user’s personality comes out. Since Ganzui has thick fingers, he couldn’t pick his nose (to make bombs like Mr. 5)! Now! Time is up!! That’s it for the SBS!! Luffy doesn’t appear at all in this volume, but he’ll go wild in the next one!! See you in the next volume~~!!

While Oda says that, Ganzui still relies on grime on his body, meaning the dirt from his bodily fluids like sweat and blood or dirt from combat, as ammunition for his bombs.

This could indicate that the Devil Fruit could influence certain habits for its activation.

Eclipse, Rocks’ Sword

In this volume, we also got the name of Rocks D. Xebec’s sword, Eclipse and it is not a Meito blade.

In spite of how ordinary it is, Rocks’ usage was extraordinary, his slashes akin to cannon blasts and being able to blast holes on Marine battleships and formed a small chasm on God Valley.

Usopp Games

Question 2: Are there any standard activities or games that Luffy and the crew play during their parties?

Answer: There are plenty! Once Brook gets into the swing of things, he immediately starts playing the piano or violin, Franky joins in on the guitar, and then the singing and choruses begin.

There’s the classic “Chopsticks in the Nose Loach Dance” and Usopp Quiz: (Usopp boards are handed out and everyone plays. There are penalty games!)

Arm wrestling, board games, jenga, weapon darts (swords, axes, knives).

Drinking contests, speed-eating contests, Jinbe’s dice gambling.

Blindfolded plank walking, sumo, Usopp’s imitation show, etc.

The standard thing, above all, is probably singing.

Earrings are the Kuja Crown

We got two relevant questions behind what makes the Captain of the Kuja Pirates Empress of Amazon Lily.

Question 3: Odacchi! Does the Captain of the Kuja Pirates always become the Empress of Amazon Lily?

Answer: It’s actually the other way around. First, there is a saying in Amazon Lily:

“In this country, strength is beauty.”

The strongest and most beautiful person wins the throne as Empress. Simultaneously, they also serve as the Captain of the Kuja Pirates. With the story of Shakuyaku— who successfully escaped the Celestial Dragons— being depicted in this volume, I feel like we can start to see why Hancock and her sisters, who were candidates for the Empress position, were targeted and enslaved by someone. Not that it matters, though.

Question 4: Young Gloriosa was depicted wearing the same snake earrings as Hancock. also, it seems Shakuyaku and Tritoma wore different accessories before becoming Captain, but wore the snake earrings after. Is it a rule that the Captains of the Kuja Pirates wear those earrings through the generations?

Answer: Just like the previous question, being the Empress comes first. Think of them like a crown that is passed down to each Empress. After they step down, they are free to keep wearing them or take them off.

Gecko Moria is an ADOPTED KOZUKI 

The Yamato Pilgrimage cover story in Chapter 1158: “Rocks vs Harald” revealed a surprising twist to Wano’s history, that the pirate who fought Kaido on Ringo was actually a Kozuki and was named “Kozuki Moria”

Question 5: Is the “Kozuki Moria” seen in the Chapter 1158 cover page actually Gecko Moria? I bet you’ve received a mountain of questions about this, but please tell us, Odacchi!! (p.n. Waka-kun)

Answer: That’s right. I actually wanted to reveal this during the Wano Country Arc, but I couldn’t find the right opening to fit it in. Based on the information I’ve given you all so far, Moria was described like this:

He once fought with Kaido.

After his entire crew was killed, he developed a personality that relies on others.

He possessed the corpse of the Legendary Samurai Ryuma and the famous sword “Shusui.”

From those points, you might have imagined he had been to Wano before, but what I really want to share is the reason for his fight against Kaido. When Moria was a young boy, he drifted ashore in Wano. The people of the Ringo Region took him in warmly.

Because they cherished him and gave him the name “Kozuki” in honor of his strength, Moria— who had already set out to sea as a pirate— returned to fight Kaido in an attempt to save the people of Wano from his attack.

However, he was defeated. After his loss, Moria felt so ashamed that he left Wano without saying a word. the people assumed he had died and built a grave for him. Since I cut this from the main story, it’s just a “need-to-know” bit of trivia!

Apparently, Gecko Moria was an orphan adopted by the Ringo people and given the name Kozuki, not because he was related to the clan but because of their love for him.

This does mean Gecko Moria lacks the ability to read the Poneglyphs as there was no Kozuki line to teach him that yet this does explain his ties to Wano, even as they seem faint and acts more as trivia than anything important for the Final Saga.

Shanks is NOT A RAT

Question 8: Odacchi, heso (Hello)!! I’ve been wondering for a long time… was that hooded figure talking to the Five Elders during the Levely about “a certain pirate” actually Shanks? or was it Shamrock? Also, does mermaid poop come out from the front or the back?

Answer: The back. and yes, it was Shamrock. In the anime, it was actually voiced by Shanks’ voice actor, Shuichi Ikeda. I realized, “Ah! I forgot to tell the anime staff that it’s not Shanks!” but later, I met Shamrock’s voice actor, Kenjiro Tsuda (Tsudaken), and thought, “He’s the one for Shamrock!” So now I’m thinking it’s a good thing I didn’t rush to pick a voice actor back then.

While many fans have already gotten their answer from the introduction of Shanks’ twin Shamrock in Chapter 1137, there were still others convinced that Shanks used his Holy Land privileges as a Figarland son to sneak into Pangaea Castle.

Now it feels like Shamrock’s concerns about a “certain pirate” are more likely about his younger brother.

Furthermore, in an interview video in 2019, Oda “censored” himself when discussing about whether or not there were “two Shanks”, one with and one without the scar.

Oda’s “forgetfulness” was ultimately the right move as it would prevent the secret from being exposed too soon.

Shanks and Shamrock’s Mother

We finally learn the name of Shanks and Shamrock’s mother and it is Magnolia, named after a flower, which is a common motif among One Piece female characters, including Tritoma, Luffy’s alleged mother, and the other Kuja Empresses.

We do not see her face, in contrast to Eris, Blackbeard’s mother, who was shown prominently after her introduction.

Shiki is Still Alive

Question 10: To celebrate Shiki’s appearance in the main story, please tell us things like his age and the grade of his swords!!

Answer: Sure. The character Shiki appears in the movie Strong World. If you’re interested, go check it out. Let’s see, what can I tell you? He is currently 73 years old. His swords, “Öto” and “Kogarashi,” are both Ryo Wazamono (skillful grade). He likes gold-leaf sushi and hates burdock root. He hails from “Yano Country” (a place that’s like a rougher version of Wano country). His hobbies are konto (comedy sketches) and bonsai.

Note:

“Öto” and “Kogarashi” falls under the 50 skillful grade swords category.

Shiki is 73 years old, which makes him one of the younger “Roger generation” Pirates, and was 35 at the time of the God Valley Incident.

For context, Charlotte Linlin is the youngest at 68, being 30 years old during the God Valley Incident, which means Shiki closer to her age than Whitebeard (who would have been 74 if he is alive in the present).

He hails from Yano country, which explains certain characters who have the traditional Japanese aesthetic and culture but are not from Wano.

This could hint that before the Void Century, Wano, Yano and other related countries like Kano that share the naming scheme are actually part of an archipelago or even a continent that shared a culture before scattering and Wano becoming isolationist to preserve its culture and sovereignty from World Government colonization.

Kano is based on China after all, which could mean Yano is either another Japan offshoot or even tied to Korea.

Kano was also called the “Country of Flowers” or “ka no kuni”, matching with Wano’s ancient name, the “Country of Gold” or “ogun no kuni”.

The key thing besides his age and swords is that he could still be alive.

More Den Den Mushi Trivia 

Question 6: Hello, Oda-sensei! You’ve mentioned that Den Den Mushi don’t mind being captured by humans because they get fed. Does that mean the Den Den Mushi kept by the Straw Hat Crew get to eat delicious meals made by Sanji? I’d love to know the details of how the crew takes care of their Den Den Mushi!

Answer: Right, well. First of all, on the Sunny, there is one “Long-Distance Den Den Mushi.” Additionally, five members— Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Robin, and Franky— carry “Baby Den Den Mushi” (short-distance), which they sometimes lend to each other.

Basically, as long as they have water, Den Den Mushi can survive for about three months without food. However, since communicating via thought waves uses a lot of energy, it’s best to give them some leftovers after use. They are let loose in places like Robin’s flower bed or Nami’s tangerine grove on the upper deck of the Sunny. They are perfectly happy if you occasionally give them their favorites, like cabbage or lettuce. Apparently, on days when they get sprinkled with water from a watering can, they get so excited that their signal can reach all the way to the other side of the world!

Stussy’s Fruit

Question 7: Why is Stussy’s “Bat-Bat Fruit” (バットバットの実 – Batto Batto no Mi) spelled with a small “tsu” instead of just “Bato Bato” (バトバト)? In the game Unlimited World Red, a pirate named “Red” (Patrick Redfield) also has a similar Devil Fruit (Mythical Zoan Model: Vampire). Did you spell it that way to match the name previously established for him?

Answer: You hit the nail so hard on the head, I can’t even argue!! (lol) If I were naming it with my current vibe, I’d probably go with “Bato Bato” (バトバト), but I must have had my reasons for choosing “Batto Batto” back then, so I stuck with it to stay consistent! Besides, it sounds like “KitKat” (Kitto Katto), which is tasty, so I guess it’s all good, right?!

Yamato’s Future

We have another good and bad future scenario, featuring Yamato.

However, it comes with a slight twist as Yamato avoids fame and is still alive when he turns 60 while becoming Oden, the very thing he chose to be, leads to imitating his fate, likely at the hands of his own father Kaido as well.

Roger’s Mustache on the Ship

Question 9: In Chapter 1156, Roger’s ship has this mark (The Mustache Skull), but Roger himself hasn’t grown a mustache yet. Why is that…?!

Answer: That’s right!! Those are udon noodles!!! You see? (laughs) that’s udon! Yeah, I got questions about this one. I got it a lot. Hmmm, you’re right!! I think 99% of readers didn’t care, but now 100% of you won’t be able to unsee it! What should I do for the overseas fans? Is “long macaroni” okay?

A PTA is a Parent’s MMA

Question 11
In the nightmares shown in Chapter 1142, I can’t believe the kids’ greatest fear wasn’t final exams! Oda-sensei, what’s your greatest fear? It’s the PTA, isn’t it!!!

Answer: Manifesting a “Final Exam” as a monster is hard!! Exams?! Also, this wasn’t even a question, you just decided for me!! But you’re right, it’s the PTA!!

Now for the Goon Corner.

Question 12: “Hello Oda-sensei! For people in One Piece who dress like this (referring to the high-cut outfits in the image, one image is Nami’s Elbaph skirt outfit, and one image is the Kuja skirt outfit), are they not wearing any underwear (pantsu)?”

Answer: “Of course they aren’t!!! I mean, how would they even wear anything under that!? Can you please stop ruining our dreams?!”

Question 13: I want to be Gunko’s slave.

Answer: Go right ahead.

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