As a series known for its expansive worldbuilding, One Piece has a lot to cover before its eventual series finale. And one of the most prominent mysteries that has yet to be solved relates to the identities of the gods mentioned in Skypeia’s sacrificial ritual. And believe it or not, this mystery may actually put Chopper at the center of attention in arcs going forward due to the unique nature of his Devil Fruit.
Though One Piece has referenced the existence of gods in multiple island cultures, it's one scene in chapter 287 that is highlighted by many. In it, a young woman named Mousse is set to be sacrificed to the gods of Skypeia, with four mentioned: the God of the Sun, the God of the Forest, the God of the Earth, and the God of the Rain. Series writer Eichiro Oda seldom adds such additional lore to the story for no reason, and fans have been trying to figure out the identity of these mysterious gods ever since their names first appeared in One Piece. With the revelation that Luffy actually possesses a Mythical Zoan fruit, fans are asking if there are other Devil Fruits--particularly those classified as Hito Hito no Mi’s, or Human Human Fruits--which possess mysterious properties in the same way Luffy’s did. The most obvious one of these fruits is none other than the one used by the Straw Hat Pirates’ loyal doctor, Tony Tony Chopper.
Chopper possesses the Hito Hito no Mi, a Zoan type Devil Fruit that allows the user to become a human. Similar to Luffy’s Gears, Chopper also possesses the unique ability to manifest his Devil Fruit in several different transformations, called Points. Luffy and Chopper are the only Zoan fruit users shown in the series to be capable of transformations like these, altering their body in more ways than just using the Zoan’s hybrid and fully transformed modes. It’s also known that shortly before Luffy and the Straw Hats arrived on Drum Island, Blackbeard attacked the kingdom, overthrowing Wapol and leaving the country in disarray. Blackbeard famously seeks out only the most powerful Devil Fruits and readers have been left to speculate what exactly he was looking for on Drum Island. It’s no stretch of the imagination to assume that he could have been looking for Chopper’s Hito Hito no Mi, as it could be hiding more powers than initially let on, just as Luffy’s Devil Fruit was.
Chopper could very well possess a Mythical Zoan fruit, possibly making him one of the other gods mentioned in Skypeia’s ritual. His ability to transform into so many different Points is completely unlike any other Zoan shown in the series and only resembles Luffy’s ability to use multiple Gears. There have also been other Hito Hito no Mi users besides Chopper and Luffy such as former Fleet Admiral Sengoku, who have not shown the ability to use multiple transformations, so it’s safe to say that this technique remains unique to them. Chopper possessing the power of one of these gods may seem a little contrived at first but realistically it would make a lot of sense given the context around the World Government hiding the identities of certain fruits.
With his seemingly impossible dream of wanting to cure every disease in the world, there is no doubt Chopper will soon become one of the most important characters in One Piece. Although he used to be one of the crew’s main powerhouses, he hasn’t been given much time to shine lately and a reveal like this would certainly put Chopper back in the spotlight where he belongs.