Just when everyone expected Elbaph to finally be Usopp’s big character arc, One Piece has come out with a completely unexpected addition to Brook’s lore. Right before the big showdown between Imu and Luffy, One Piece recently kicked off a whole new flashback, intended to finally explain Brook’s connection to one of the series’ mysterious new villains, Gunko.
As if Brook’s past with the Rumbar Pirates wasn’t sad enough already, this new flashback has now given the Straw Hats’ jolly musician an even more heartbreaking origin story, while also explaining many of Gunko’s oddities. That said, other than expanding on Brook and Princess Shuri’s tragic shared history, One Piece’s latest flashback may have also secretly planted the seeds for the series to introduce a new power system in the Final Saga, and through Gunko no less.
One Piece Teases Its Own Dojutsu Power System Through Gunko
Chapter #1186 of One Piece has come with many shocking revelations about Esperia as well as Princess Shuri, or Gunko, as she has been known so far. For one, the chapter finally reveals the identity of the man seen smoking a cigar in the castle at the end of Chapter #1185 — a Celestial Dragon named St. Manmayer Gurou, who is also confirmed to be Princess Shuri’s biological father. The chapter also reveals that the real reason Esperia was at war with the World Government was because King Reuven refused to hand Shuri over to the World Government, thus resulting in the counter demand for a thousand slaves.
One Piece Is Officially Changing Genres for Its Final Saga
As the Final Saga unfolds, One Piece seems to be completely changing genres, but it’s arguably been a long time coming.
St. Gurou is also revealed to possess the same split-toned eyes as Gunko, which he reveals is an extremely rare trait passed down through the Maymayer family. That said, the chapter also implied that this isn’t ordinary heterochromia. St. Gurou specifically refers to Gunko’s eyes as “bipolar irises” and claims they were the reason Imu wanted Gunko, hinting they may hold some secret power or special significance. Despite having nearly identical eyes to Gunko’s, St. Gurou also claims he wasn’t able to awaken these bipolar irises, yet again implying there is something special about Gunko’s heterochromia.
Judging by the name alone, Gunko’s so-called bipolar irises could explain her split personalities that have been observed ever since the beginning of the Egghead Arc. Gunko has displayed three very different personalities so far — one of a typical, haughty, arrogant Celestial Dragon, another more subdued, down-to-earth personality that enjoys listening to Brook’s music, and yet another personality while possessed by Imu.
In fact, the reason Imu is able to take control of Gunko’s body to such an extent may also be related to her peculiar eyes, and this could be the beginning of One Piece potentially introducing its own ocular power system, just like Naruto with its dojutsu and kekkei genkai.
One Piece’s Final Saga Might Introduce Multiple Ocular Abilities
All that said, Gunko’s peculiar eyes might only be the first of many ocular abilities to be explored in One Piece’s Final Saga. Pudding’s third eye, which can decipher the Poneglyphs, is another great example of a very relevant power being tied to a genetic ocular trait, and it’s possible the Three-Eyed Tribe as a whole will prove to be much more significant going forward.
One Piece’s Final Saga might also finally explain if Mihawk’s ringed eyes hold any significance. Ever since Imu in particular was introduced, there has been plenty of speculation surrounding the ringed irises that Mihawk and Imu share. Characters such as Zunesha, Cavendish, Big Mom, and even Robin have also sported these distinct ringed irises at times, adding to the growing suspicion about them all being connected in some way.
Big Mom, in particular, has been pictured with these eyes while using her Soul-Soul Fruit powers, potentially hinting at some connection t the soul and personality. However, perhaps most relevant is the example of Cavendish, whose irises are not only ringed but also take on a split tone when his two different personalities are active at the same time and competing for dominance. Hakuba and Cavendish may have even directly inspired Gunko’s split personality after all these years, and perhaps like Cavendish, Gunko may also find a way to suppress her other personalities, setting her up for the ultimate villain redemption.
All in all, with all these distinctive eyes popping up in the final leg of the story, it’s a very real possibility that ocular powers like Naruto’s dojutsu could gradually be making their way into One Piece, and they could soon grow to be just as crucial as Haki.
- First Film
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One Piece: The Movie
- Cast
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Kazuya Nakai, Akemi Okamura, Kappei Yamaguchi, Hiroaki Hirata, Ikue Ôtani, Yuriko Yamaguchi