One Piece chapter 1155 hints at the Will of D. and Davy Jones' connection

In One Piece, some characters – including the main protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy - have the letter “D.” in the middle of their names. The story has yet to explain the reason behind this rare trait, making it one of the most intriguing mysteries in the pirate-themed franchise.

Akin to an inherited will passed down through generations, the D. appears to be a feature shared by the members of certain families, which explains why it is known as the “Will of D.”

Imu-sama, the World Government’s enigmatic supreme ruler, noted that the D. was once a distinguishing trait of those who opposed the First Twenty, the monarchs who formed an alliance to crush the Ancient Kingdom.

For this reason, the carriers of the D. are considered to be the natural enemies of gods, with “gods” identifying the Celestial Dragons, the successors of the twenty monarchs, who are hailed as gods among men.

The latest installment of the manga, One Piece chapter 1155, delved into the recent past to unveil Rocks D. Xebec’s bold challenge to Imu. As he audaciously confronted the leader of the World Government, Xebec declared himself a worshipper of Davy Jones. Xebec’s cryptic words to Imu may hint at the Will of D.’s true meaning, connecting it with the legend of Davy Jones.

Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers from the One Piece manga up to chapter 1156.

One Piece’s Will of D. could just be the will of Davy Jones

The mysterious initial letter

Those who carry the D. are enemies of the "gods" (Image via Shueisha)

Gol D. Roger discovered the meaning of the Will of D., as well as other shocking truths such as the secrets of the Void Century and the reason behind the Ancient Weapons, when he visited Laugh Tale together with Silvers Rayleigh, Scopper Gaban, Kozuki Oden, and the rest of his comrades. However, for some reason, the Roger Pirates decided not to spread the information they learned.

This is why, as Imu remarked, most of the people who bear the letter D. in their names aren’t aware of the meaning of this trait nowadays. In any case, those who have the initial D. are often involved in significant, world-shaking events, to the point where they are known for bringing forth a metaphorical storm on the globe.

Despite their personal differences, these people are united by their free spirits, charisma, and self-confidence. From Luffy and Garp to Cobra and Clover, they all share an uncommon determination to endure mental and physical hardship. Most of them are selfless individuals, capable of embracing and accepting their fate without fearing death, even laughing in the face of it.

Xebec’s words to Imu

Xebec told Imu that he admired Davy Jones (Image via Shueisha)

In One Piece chapter 1155, fans learned that 56 years before the present time, Rocks D. Xebec single-handedly assaulted the Holy Land of Mary Geoise during the Levely. After kidnapping five monarchs who were attending the council, Xebec broke into the Pangaea Castle’s Room of Flowers, where he encountered Imu and their attendant, Saint Manmayer Gunko.

The first pirate to ever reach the deepest part of Mary Geoise, Xebec proclaimed himself “a worshipper of Davy Jones” before vowing to return one day for a future challenge. He then left the room under Imu’s inscrutable gaze.

Imu’s existence has been kept a secret from the whole One Piece world. Yet, Xebec did not seem surprised at all to see the former. It’s speculated that Imu could be Saint Nerona Imu, one of the First Twenty who gained perennial youth thanks to the Ope-Ope Fruit’s powers, an assumption that posits the villain as an individual who comes from the distant past and has remained in the shadows ever since.

The fact that Xebec was seemingly aware of Imu and felt the need to mention his admiration for Davy Jones in front of the enigmatic ruler could offer an unexpected interpretation for the Will of D.’s meaning.

Davy Jones and the Will of D.

The legend of Davy Jones (Image via Shueisha)

In One Piece, characters can entrust their ideals and unfulfilled dreams to future generations – not necessarily their direct blood offspring – to complete them. This concept is known as “Inherited Will”, and seems to be linked with the Will of D., which increasingly appears to be a distinguishing trait connecting the descendants of those who once faced the Celestial Dragons.

With this in mind, Xebec’s knowledge may stem from the past. Imu stated that the Will of D.’s present-day carriers don’t know about this trait’s origins and meaning, but Xebec’s case was probably different. Xebec never reached Laugh Tale to witness the One Piece treasure – an accomplishment achieved only by the Roger Pirates – so he must have obtained this knowledge another way.

The answer may lie in Xebec’s mention of Davy Jones. In the One Piece world, Davy Jones is a mythical pirate who was said to have been cursed by the devil to live on the sea floor, where he is believed to still reside even today. For this reason, the sea floor is known as “the locker of Davy Jones,” and he is believed to own everything that sinks into the depths of the sea.

This echoes the real-life legend of Davy Jones, which narrates the story of a particularly greedy pirate who used to put all of his crew’s valuables in his own locker, until the Devil cursed him to live at the bottom of the sea. Since then, Davy Jones has become a sea demon who drowns pirate crews, amassing their ships and treasures on the sea floor.

Rocks D. Xebec as seen in the One Piece anime (Image via Toei Animation)

The figure of Davy Jones is particularly respected in the One Piece world, as his legend inspired the peculiar pirate contest known as the Davy Back Fight. Xebec declared himself a worshipper of Davy Jones, and this claim, combined with Xebec’s antagonism against the World Government, may finally shed light on what the Will of D. is, revealing it as nothing but the inherited will of Davy Jones.

Going by this assumption, Davy Jones was a real person, and all the people who bear the D. in their names are, consciously or otherwise, pirates carrying on Davy Jones’ will. In particular, Davy Jones inspired Rocks D. Xebec’s defiant actions. It should be noted that while Davy Jones embodied a greedy and individualistic demeanor, Xebec’s behavior was very similar, as he aimed to rule over the whole globe.

This is particularly interesting as Marshall D. Teach “Blackbeard”, who has recently been revealed to be Xebec’s son, has the same attitude as his father. Unlike the other D. carriers, Blackbeard and Xebec share the same self-centred power hunger.

Davy Jones as seen in the SBS of the One Piece manga (Image via Shueisha)

Xebec wanted to become the “King of the World”, and Blackbeard seems to have the same goal, or at least a very similar one. They both want to overthrow the World Government, but not to bring freedom.

Rather, to replace Imu and the Celestial Dragons as the supreme rulers. In this sense, it could be argued that Xebec and his son, Teach “Blackbeard,” represent the purest form of Davy Jones’ will.

Leaving aside the other present-time D. carriers, such as Luffy, Dragon, Nefertari Vivi, and more, this trait is otherwise associated with positive intentions. Nefertari D. Lili left the First Twenty’s side to scatter Poneglyphs around the world, and Emet unleashed Joy Boy’s Haki to protect Luffy and his comrades.

Connecting past, present, and future, from the conflict during the Void Century to the forthcoming, inevitable war to finally liberate the world, the Will of D. is an enigma deeply intertwined with One Piece’s main plot and overarching themes. The author Eiichiro Oda is clearly passionate about real-life myths, legends, and folklore, which he cherishes and occasionally incorporates into his story.

Intriguing coincidences (Image via Shueisha)

In the SBS of volume 38, Oda drew Davy Jones, depicting him as an old man jealously carrying a chest under his arm. This depiction maintains the figure’s typical iconography, yet doesn’t portray Davy Jones negatively as common folklore does. It’s possible that One Piece’s version of Davy Jones isn’t as wicked as the one in the real-life legends.

Perhaps Oda’s sketch was just a red herring, and the manga will later reveal Davy Jones as a man who betrayed Imu during the Void Century. Interestingly, Imu can transform into a devilish creature – like the demon that is said to have cursed Davy Jones – and the Celestial Dragons of Mary Geoise tell their children that if they misbehave, the D. people will eat them.

This sounds like another potential hint, considering that those who carry the D. are known as the enemies of the Celestial Dragons, and that Davy Jones is said to sink ships, metaphorically “eating” them.

Joy Boy is known as the first pirate in history, and it’s intriguing to theorize that Davy Jones was the first person to eat a Devil Fruit. The idea that Davy Jones made a deal with the devil – Imu – to eat a supernatural fruit, then broke the deal, faced a curse as punishment, yet managed to fight back by passing his will to the future generations, sounds truly fascinating.

One Piece chapter 1155 hints at the Will of D. and Davy Jones' connection

One Piece’s Will of D. could just be the will of Davy Jones

The mysterious initial letter

Xebec’s words to Imu

Davy Jones and the Will of D.

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