With powers that transcend any Devil Fruit or Haki ability in the series so far, is there a chance that the Five Elders are not of this world?

Representing the highest echelons of the World Government, the Five Elders are some of the most powerful people in One Piece, answering only to Imu, the secret ruler of the world. More than 800 chapters after they first debuted in the story, the Egghead Arc has finally shed some light on why they are so influential and feared even among the Celestial Dragons. This was made even more apparent by the revelation of Saint Jaygarcia Saturn’s terrifying powers.

By getting directly involved in the ongoing Egghead Incident in One Piece, Saturn has unveiled certain aspects of the Five Elders’ unique transformations that were shown during the Levely. Considering how he was easily able to overwhelm some of the Straw Hat Pirates’ strongest fighters such as Sanji and Franky without even raising a finger, there will be much speculation on how the Five Elders acquired such immense power, if they are even mortal beings, or whether there is more to this than meets the eye.

The Current Body Of Evidence

The first hints of the Five Elders’ power came during Nefertari Cobra’s audience with them in front of the Empty Throne in Pangaea Castle in Mary Geoise. After Imu appeared on the throne to address Cobra’s questions about the Will of the D. and the mystery surrounding Nefertari D. Lili — the Queen of Arabasta during the Void Century and a rumored ally of Joy Boy — the Five Elders took on unidentifiable forms that resembled Zoan Devil Fruit transformations.

Alongside Imu, they proceeded to attack Cobra and Sabo, who had unwittingly entered the scene without realizing what he had gotten himself into. Sadly, Cobra was forced to sacrifice himself to aid Sabo’s escape, but not before the Revolutionary Army’s Chief of Staff caught a glimpse of the inhuman forms that the Five Elders took on. Whether these are Devil Fruit abilities or something else entirely is open to speculation.

The Five Elders have also appeared in flashbacks from the Ohara Incident as well as a more recent return to the past in God Valley. On both occasions, all of them looked exactly the same as their current appearances, despite these events having taken place decades prior. This indicates that the Five Elders either possess extraordinary longevity, or are true immortals, and may have been ruling the world alongside Imu ever since the conclusion of the Void Century.

Saturn’s Demonic Powers

Since his appearance on Egghead, Saint Jaygarcia Saturn demonstrated a number of unique powers that defy categorization into the known spectrum of Devil Fruit and Haki based techniques. For starters, he was able to arrive at Egghead from his battleship through a Magic Circle in a manner akin to teleportation or summoning. The circle itself featured a five pointed star along with the number ‘5’ between its arms.

Whether this is a reference to the Five Elders or something rooted in the occult is up for inquiry, as is the black Haki-esque lightning, the fiery aura above the circle, and the strange presence that accompanied his entry to the island. There has also been no confirmation on whether the Magic Circle has to be drawn by someone or if it simply appears at the designated target for Saturn’s teleportation.

Following the reveal of his transformed appearance, it is all but confirmed that Saturn is a Zoan type Devil Fruit user with an Awakened form when looking at the black flame clouds that surround him. However, there may be more to this than what meets the eye. If anything, Saturn and the Five Elders may have powers that transcend or even predate Devil Fruits themselves, although there is little beyond fanciful speculation to aid in confirming this.

The imagery and references related to the Solar System, with each of the Five Elders being named after planets is also important to consider, especially when paired with the fact that they oppose Sun God Nika. It may not be a stretch to think of them as otherworldly demons or immortals engaged in an eternal struggle against an all powerful deity in Nika, with Imu as the devil who leads them.

Beyond this, Saturn also seems to have certain abilities that are difficult to explain and quite intimidating. For instance, he seems to be able to heal most injuries almost instantly, as seen in how the stab wound inflicted by Jewelry Bonney near his neck disappeared in mere moments. Furthermore, he can blow away the heads of low ranking Marines with only a glance, send opponents flying on a whim, and exert an invisible force to immobilize his enemies. None of these abilities are known to be associated with Haki or Devil Fruits of any kind, leaving their source open to speculation.

Beyond Devil Fruit Users

Under the umbrella of speculation, there are a few ways to explain some of these anomalies based on information that has already been revealed. For instance, the Five Elders’ longevity could be the result of the Ope Ope no Mi, as it is known that the Perpetual Youth Surgery grants immortality to an individual in exchange for the life of the person performing the operation. Since characters have verified knowledge of this ability, it is near certain that the technique has been performed in the past, and equally likely that the Five Elders have benefited from it.

Next, Saturn’s transformed appearance resembles an ushi-oni — a yokai from Japanese folklore that is half bull and half spider. This would place Saturn as an Awakened Mythical Zoan user. If proven to be true, there is an even higher chance that the Five Elders possess similar Devil Fruit powers, which explains their transformations in Mary Geoise’s throne room. Saturn’s ability to make heads explode and exert invisible forces may also be linked to Advanced Conqueror’s Haki, where the exertion of one’s will is so potent that it has tangible effects on the world around them.

This has already been demonstrated by Shanks, when he was on Whitebeard’s ship as well as his intimidation of Admiral Ryokugyu near Wano Country. Hence, the only things that cannot be explained are the Magic Circle and regenerative powers Saturn possesses. That being said, all this speculation could be completely off the mark. In fact, the Five Elders’ demonic forms and abilities, coupled with their fear of Sun God Nika — an emblem of hope and freedom — could indicate that these abilities are beyond the scope of what has been explained about One Piece’s power system so far, and fans will have to wait for the Egghead Incident to conclude to gain answers to their burning questions.

Src: gamerant.com