Warning: SPOILERS for chapter #1069 of One Piece.
One Piece has confirmed one of the most important theories about Devil Fruits. Thanks to the incredible explanation about Devil Fruits' origins provided by Dr. Vegapunk in chapter #1069, it is now possible to support the theory that Devil Fruits contain the "inherited will" of the people who lived in the Great Kingdom of the past, passed down through the centuries.
Fans of One Piece have been racking their brains for decades, trying to understand the secret of Devil Fruits. Despite being an iconic feature of the series, the mystery of these objects' origins still has to be revealed in full. From the scraps of information provided by the manga, fans put together many theories. One of the most plausible ones theorizes that Devil Fruits have an "inherited will" that they pass down from one user to another, as proven by Luffy inheriting the will of the previous user of his fruit, Joyboy. This has been said to be true only about Zoan-types, but there is now further support that connects the Devil Fruits of the present with the mysterious ancient civilization of the Great Kingdom.
In chapter #1069 of One Piece, Dr. Vegapunk finally explained what he believes to be the true origins of Devil Fruits. While his explanation leaves more questions than answers (in classic One Piece style), it is still clear that Vegapunk believes that Devil Fruits are manifestations of a desired next step in the potential evolution of life. Each Devil Fruit user represents a possible future for humanity, and the Fruits' powers are the actualization of the hope and desires of people. However, the most important part of Vegapunk's explanation comes when the scientist says that "Those with powers exist in different dimensions dreamed up by someone else before them."
One Piece Confirms That Devil Fruits Contain The Inherited Will From People Of The Past
Considering that Vegapunk's main field of expertise is the science of the Great Kingdom, his theory about Devil Fruits, while still vague and enigmatic, supports the idea that these objects contain the inherited will of people from the ancient past. It's still unclear what form this "will" takes, but, in the case of Zoan fruits, it is more evident, and it can also "absorb and control the user's personality", as Vegapunk also explains in this chapter. These revelations, which One Piece already foreshadowed many years ago, are likely connected to the fact that Devil Fruits alter the DNA of their users, as Vegapunk discovered through his research.
It is entirely possible, then, that Devil Fruits contain the DNA of people from the Great Kingdom, which is then transmitted to the new users along with their memories and spirit. Vegapunk says that Devil Fruits have been brought into the world with hope, which, according to him, in this case refers to a desire for a future evolution of humankind. However, it also means that the Devil Fruits themselves contain that hope, in the form of the famous inherited will.
Dr. Vegapunk's words make direct reference to "someone else before them", which is the first actual confirmation that the unique nature of Devil Fruits has to be traced back to some still-mysterious individuals from the past. While a massive Devil Fruit theory has just been proven true, there are still a lot of mysteries that need to be unveiled in the future of One Piece.
The latest chapter of One Piece is available from Viz Media.