For years,One Piecefans have speculated about what happens to artificial Devil Fruits when their users die. Unlike natural Devil Fruits, which famously respawn elsewhere in the world upon a user’s death, the fate of the man-made SMILE fruits introduced during the Dressrosa and Wano arcs was a mystery. Given their unpredictable nature and tragic consequences, many assumed they followed the same rules as real Devil Fruits. However, creator Eiichiro Oda has finally set the record straight.
In an interview with Oda, according to@newworldarturon X, Oda clarified that artificial Devil Fruits do not function like their natural counterparts.When a user of an artificial Devil Fruit dies, the fruit’s power does not transfer or regenerate; it simply ceases to exist.This revelation changes how fans understand the long-term impact of SMILE fruits and raises new questions about the science behind their creation.
The Unusual Nature of Artificial Devil Fruits
The Truth Behind SMILE Fruits and Their Fatal Flaw
Unlike natural Devil Fruits, the artificial ones were designed by Dr. Vegapunk and later mass-produced by Donquixote Doflamingo using Caesar Clown’s defective SMILE formula. These fruits granted Zoan-like transformations but came with unpredictable side effects, most notably, an uncontrollable permanent grin for failed users. Fans had long wondered whether artificial fruits followed the same reincarnation cycle as real ones. After all, if SMILE users still possessed unique abilities, wouldn’t it make sense for their powers to be passed on after death?
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Oda’s confirmation that artificial Devil Fruits vanish upon the user’s death adds another layer of tragedy to those who consumed them.Unlike natural Devil Fruit users, who may one day see their powers reborn in another person, SMILE users lose their abilities permanently.This distinction reinforces just how flawed and unnatural the SMILE fruits truly were, making their use by Kaido’s forces even more cruel.
What This Means for the Future of Devil Fruits
A Game-Changer for One Piece’s Devil Fruit System
This new informationchanges how fans perceive the mechanics of artificial Devil Fruits. Since they do not follow the natural Devil Fruit cycle, their existence may be more dependent on the user’s lifeforce rather than a separate mystical property. It also suggests that Vegapunk’s recent advancements in artificial fruits, such as Momonosuke’s replica of Kaido’s Uo Uo no Mi, may operate under different principles, possibly mimicking natural regeneration more accurately.
Additionally,Oda’s statement raises the question of whether future artificial Devil Fruitscould be improved or if their impermanence is an unavoidable flaw. If a perfected artificial Devil Fruit could reincarnate, it would blur the lines between science and the supernatural even further in One Piece. For now, though, SMILE fruits are still a tragic failure, reinforcing the themes of unnatural experimentation and its dire consequences.
