Summary
- Chapter 1094 of One Piece introduces the Five Elders, an antagonistic group, and their potential devil fruit abilities, adding to the mystery surrounding them.
- Saturn, one of the Five Elders, takes on the form of an Ushi-Oni, a yokai from Japanese folklore, which suggests he may have various powers related to this creature.
- The possibility of the rest of the Five Elders and possibly Imu having devil fruit abilities and being transformed into terrifying yokai establishes a theme among the World Government's highest-ranking officials.
The following contains spoilers for One Piece Chapter 1094, "The Five Elders, Godhead of Science and Defense, St. Jaygarcia Saturn." by Eiichiro Oda, Stephen Paul, and Vanessa Satone, available in English from Viz Media.
The Five Elders are one of the last antagonistic groups in One Piece for fans to learn more about. People still want to know how old they are, their abilities, and what happened in their backstories. Their names weren't even confirmed more than ten chapters ago in this 1090-chapter-long series. In light of this, when Chapter 1085, "The Death of Nefertari Cobra," hinted that these Elders (and Imu) had powers, no one even knew whether to call them Devil Fruit users.
The question regarding their powers resurfaced in Chapter 1094, "The Five Elders, Godhead of Science and Defense, St. Jaygarcia Saturn." Saturn transformed into a monstrous beast, but there is ambiguity surrounding it. It's likely a Devil Fruit, but the significance of this man to One Piece's overarching plot makes fans believe there is more going on. The magic circle that summoned him also raised questions. Whatever his situation, it likely applies to the rest of the Five Elders and possibly Imu. At the very least, the inspiration for Saturn's powers can be used to infer what he can do beyond looking big and menacing. The yokai he's based on can draw from various folklore to have multiple powers. This may not say much about his contemporaries, but it should at least give people a general idea of how his battle on Egghead could unfold.
What Did Fans Speculate Saturn's Devil Fruit Would Be?
One dated theory suggested the Five Elders were based on the Five Sacred Beasts of Chinese mythology. It further suggested Saturn's Devil Fruit would turn into Byakko, the White Tiger of the West. Other potential Devil Fruits would include Suzaku (Vermilion Bird of the South), Koryuu (Yellow Dragon of the Center), and Genbu (Black Tortoise of the North). Kaido's Devil Fruit, Seiryuu (Azure Dragon of the East), would have to be artificial or gifted to the last Elder after the Emperor supposedly died in Wano. While this theory was debunked, the theory was correct in assuming the Elders were Zoan users.
Chapter 1085 hinted at the Five Elders' Devil Fruits through silhouettes. In Saturn's case, he had distinctly bovine features, including his horns, ears, and snout. On another note, St. Marcus Mars took a birdlike form, so the Suzaku Fruit theory could still be viable.
In any case, Saturn's Fruit was likely part of the Ox-Ox line, and it might even be a Mythical Model. There are plenty of references to cattle throughout religion and mythology. Some suggested he was more like the Minotaur of Greek mythology — since only the shape of his head was clear, this theory was viable. Several East Asian religions treat cattle like the zebu as sacred and forbid eating them; this doesn't scream "powerful," but it would tie into the deification of the Celestial Dragons. Cattle are associated with several gods and goddesses, including Krishna and Prithvi (Hinduism), Ptah and Mehet-Weret (ancient Egypt), and several gods from Nubian mythology are more explicitly depicted as cattle. Some expected Saturn to be more of an oni like Kaido or Yamato, which was surprisingly close to the truth. Whatever form he took would have to be far above the average ungulate in power and recognition.
What Is There To Know About Saturn's Devil Fruit And The Ushi-Oni?
Saturn wasted no time with his Devil Fruit transformation. The moment he made landfall on Egghead (with a satanic circle, no less), He took on characteristics of an awakened Zoan hybrid form. It gave him the horns from his silhouette and, more noticeably, a spider-like lower body.
Saturn's animal form is commonly meant to be an Ushi-Oni, a yokai from Japanese folklore. These creatures have been described with features from other animals and insects, but the most well-known form has the head of a cow and the body of a six-legged spider or crab. They can also be called gyuki, but that term has already been used in One Piece for one of Zoro's attacks. Because of all this, Saturn's Fruit may instead be dubbed the Mythical Zoan Ox-Ox Fruit, Model: Ushi-Oni.
This form's similarities to other Zoans should also be noted. His hybrid form is similar to Jack's in configuring the upper and lower halves like a centaur (human top, animal bottom) rather than an ordinary look for the Ushi-Oni. Furthermore, while both yokai, the Ushi-Oni shouldn't be mistaken for the Jorogumo who likely inspired Black Maria's Rosamygale Grauvogeli Fruit. Prior Devil Fruits like these help inform how Saturn's Devil Fruits works.
The Ushi-Oni is known for several abilities depending on local legends. Some shapeshift into humans to trick their intended, though that's hardly relevant to Zoans. Some attack from the water; unless the Five Elders have Devil Fruit powers that defy the conventional water weakness, that's also meaningless. Relevant abilities include spitting poison, consuming shadows or souls to cause high fever and death (like Gecko Moria's power), a paralyzing gaze that eases said consumption, and weighing down prey by tricking them into carrying a surprisingly heavy baby (this is sometimes carried out by an affiliated Nure-Onna yokai, but Kaido already had one of those).
Again, folklore varies by region. Saturn could have all or none of these powers. On another note, the magic circle summoning and flames aren't associated with Ushi-Oni — these are likely creative liberties Oda took.
What Saturn's Powers Could Say About The Future Of One Piece
Saturn being an Ushi-Oni could establish a theme among the World Government's highest-ranking officials. The rest of the Gorosei (and perhaps others) could have Devil Fruits that turn them into similarly terrifying yokai. It would explain why Sabo, in Chapter 1085, likened what he saw in the Empty Throne room to Hell.
One fan was quick to come up with yokai for everyone. They theorized Shepherd Ju Peter is a Hanzaki (giant salamander), Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro is a Kuro Bozu (black monk), Marcus Mars is an Itsumade (eerie bird), and Topman Warcury is a Baku (dream-eating tapir). There was even talk of Figarland being a Katsura Otoko (tree-cutter living on the moon). Imu was likened to a Yaobikuni (800-year-old nun), although that's probably closer to their human form's story; their beast state more closely resembles an Umibozu.
Some theorists suggest Saturn and the others are genuine monsters taking human form. This would explain their unusual abilities, like living for ages and appearing in magic circles. If this is true, it could bring readers one step closer to learning the remaining secrets of Devil Fruits.
In any case, Saturn being an Ushi-Oni opens plenty of paths for the story. It depends on whether he's confirmed to be a standard Devil Fruit user or something more sinister. Either way, he's shaping up to be a foe unlike anything the Straw Hats have faced so far.