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The "Will of D." is a mystery surrounding some One Piece characters who have the initial "D." in their names. So far, Eiichiro Oda is yet to completely explain the meaning of the D. as well as its ties with other major secrets in the series, which led fans to create countless theories on the subject.
One Piece chapter 1085, the latest issue of the manga, shed some light on the matter. The conversation between Nefertari Cobra, the Five Elders, and the cryptic Im-sama, revealed some interesting details about the Will of D., as well as its ties with the Nefertari Family.
Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers from the One Piece manga up to chapter 1085.
One Piece chapter 1085 revealed new Will of D. carriers, and delved into the origins of the enigmatic feature
One of the rarest and most mysterious traits in the series
Together with the natural-born Conqueror's Haki, the Will of D. is an extremely rare trait that very few One Piece characters bear. To this day, it is not yet completely explained why some people have the initial "D." in their names, but all of the carriers are, for various reasons, involved in big events.
The Will of D. is seemingly linked with the Inherited Will, a concept that recalls transmitting one's dreams, goals, and ideals to future generations so that they can fulfill them. Some One Piece characters indeed entrusted their dreams to their heirs, with no fear of losing their own lives.
Individuals who carry the initial D. have a very similar behavior, as they don't fear death, but accept their fate, embracing it selflessly. Owners of the D. are prone to smile and laugh right before they die, or they suppose they have no other possible outcome apart from dying.
All known D. possessors are charismatic, with the natural ability to attract people to them, drawing friends and allies, and at times even befriending their enemies. Owners of the D. all share a deep desire for freedom. They strongly believe in their capabilities as well in having a favorable destiny.
Most carriers of the D. have proven themselves to be able to withstand incredible degrees of physical and mental damage. The only D. possessor who openly showed fear of death is Marshall D. Teach, who panicked and begged for mercy when he thought he was about to die. However, Teach also showcased an impressive degree of pain tolerance.
The Will of D. was first addressed in the SBS corner of One Piece's Volume 8. Asked what the D. in Luffy's name stood for, Eiichiro Oda replied that he would eventually reveal the truth behind that only later in the series, hinting toward a bigger mystery that will only be disclosed at an appropriate time.
It seems that the D. is deeply connected with the One Piece itself. When Roger, Rayleigh, Oden, and the other members of the Pirate King crew visited Laugh Tale, the island where the legendary treasure lies, they discovered the meaning of the D. as well as other major secrets, including the Void Century and the Ancient Weapons.
The first explicit reference to the Will of D. in the manga was in chapter 154, where the old doctress Kureha revealed that the Pirate King wasn't named Gold Roger, but Gol D. Roger. The World Government tried to hide the D. in Roger's name, like they also attempted to do later with Luffy.
Among the D. carriers, Roger is the only one who knows what the trait stands for. He fully explained its meaning to Whitebeard, who, shortly before dying, stated that killing someone who has the D. would not stop their will, which would eventually be inherited and fulfilled. As already addressed, this emphasizes the connection between Will of D. and Inherited Will.
The Family of D., the natural enemies of Gods
Saul declared that everyone in his family carried the D. in their names, implying that it is a bloodline trait which is forwarded between generations of the same family. However, it can't be excluded that the D. can be passed on through other unknown means.
In the Monkey Family, all known members, from Luffy, his father Dragon, and his grandfather Garp, possess the D., hinting at the trait's hereditary nature. Portgas D. Rouge and Gol D. Roger, who had a child, passed the feature on to their son, Ace.
All known D. carriers are related to each other by blood, or at least somehow connected by fated encounters. According to Donquixote Rocinante, those with the D. in their names are part of the "Family of D." and have a reputation for being the natural enemies of Gods.
Rocinante taught that to Trafalgar Law when he learned that the latter was a D. possessor. The "Gods" Rocinante referred to were the Celestial Dragons, the successor of the twenty kings who composed the Ancient Alliance, the root system for the present-day World Government.
Rocinante also instructed Law that those with the D. are known to cause storms, i.e. major events that change the story. In the most recent chapters, Nefertari Cobra, the king of Arabasta, entered a private audience with the Five Elders to question them about the figure of Nefertari Lily.
The former queen of Arabasta, Lily reigned over the country about 800 years ago. Despite being among the Twenty Kings who founded the Ancient Alliance, she refused to go live at Mary Geoise and become a Celestial Dragon. Shortly after the establishment of the World Government, Lily disappeared.
As the Five Elders didn't give him any information about what happened to Lily, Cobra asked them about the real meaning of the initial D., with such a question leaving them irritated. Cobra declared that Lily wrote a letter containing major information and had it passed down from one generation to the next ever since.
After One Piece 1085, fans finally know more about the D.
As Im-sama, who was overhearing the conversation from the Room of Flowers, suddenly entered the Phantom Room and ascended on the Empty Throne, major revelations about the Will of D. were about to be bestowed to One Piece fans, with the source being the very leader of the World Government.
Im addressed that the people with the initial D. were "their" enemies in the past, likely referring to the Ancient Alliance. Im also added that the current owners of the D. have no idea about the meaning of their names. Subsequently, Cobra revealed that Queen Lily's true name was Nefertari D. Lily.
As the situation escalated, Cobra asked Sabo to tell Vivi and Luffy that "they" all are D. as well. This likely means that the Nefertari, including Cobra and Vivi, carry the D., which makes sense, as their ancestor Lily had the trait. After hearing the monarch's words, Sabo had a flashback of his childhood with Luffy and Ace.
When they were children, Sabo wondered why Ace and Luffy had a weird D. initial in their names. Ace said that if Sabo desired, he could have a D. in his name as well, becoming SaD.Bo, or Sa D. Bo. This is most likely nothing more than a pun, but it may also be some sort of hint from One Piece author Eiichiro Oda.
Until now, there's no absolute certainty of how someone gets the D., with the trait being hereditary being the most obvious option. One Piece 1085 may have introduced the idea that the initial D. can be given by someone who already possesses it, to anyone else with whom the former has a special bond.
Granted, Eiichiro Oda is no stranger to teasing his readers with red herrings that trigger their hunger to understand the secrets of One Piece. Thus, Ace's joke to Sabo may have been nothing more than that. Another potentially interesting cue comes from the revelation of Nefertari Vivi being a D. carrier.
In chapter 906 of One Piece, Im-sama was holding some bounty posters and photographs, including Luffy's, Blackbeard's, Vivi's, and Shirahoshi. With the first tree having the initial D., Shirahoshi may be a possessor as well. The Mermaid Princess is the current reincarnation of the Ancient Weapon Poseidon, so this may not be far-fetched.
Final Thoughts about One Piece's Will of D.
One Piece's plot is masterfully intertwined, with the major secrets of the series, including the Void Century, the Ancient Kingdom, the Will of D., and the One Piece itself, all being connected to each other. Whitebeard, who had been informed by Roger himself, declared that the World Government lives in fear of the day when someone will find the truth of the history and carry its burden.
The rise of this individual will lead to a tremendous war. The person concerned is most likely Luffy, who was recently revealed to be the second coming of Joy Boy. While the time of the final battle is still far, and the main mysteries of the series are yet to be fully disclosed, fans are finally starting to receive some answers.
Being always portrayed as benevolent people, it was hard to imagine the Nefertari as the co-founders of the tyrannical World Government. Their ancestor Lily indeed tried to thwart Im's plan 800 years ago. With all the Nefertari being D. carriers, the household's heiress, Vivi, who is also an old acquaintance of the Straw Hats, will likely play an important role in the future of the series.
