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What is Moria's Devil Fruit in One Piece? Explained

The expansive universe of One Piece contains powerful Devil Fruits that provide their users with exceptional powers. The Shadow-Shadow Fruit (Kage Kage no Mi) rises above other mysterious fruits as one of the most versatile and distinctive options. The Paramecia-type Devil Fruit entered Gecko Moria's system when he served as the Warlord of the Sea and commanded the Thriller Bark Pirates.

But what is Moria's Devil Fruit power? By consuming the Shadow-Shadow Fruit Moria developed the ability to control shadows, which enabled him both to assemble zombie armies and to enhance his personal power through the shadows of others.

The power he gained from the Devil Fruit allowed him to dominate in the Thriller Bark arc and it continued to define his capabilities in later series appearances.


The Shadow-Shadow Fruit's powers and abilities, explained

Gecko Moria as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)
Gecko Moria as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

The Kage Kage no Mi grants Gecko Moria complete control over shadows. He can manipulate his own shadow, making it fight independently as an indestructible entity that reforms when damaged. Moria can transform his shadow into bat-like creatures for swarming enemies or instantly swap positions with it for tactical advantages.

Shadow theft is the fruit's core ability, allowing Moria to cut shadows from victims, who fall into a two-day coma. These shadowless individuals become fatally vulnerable to sunlight, which reduces them to ashes upon exposure. They also lose their reflections and can't appear in photographs.

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Moria's most notorious application is zombie creation. By inserting stolen shadows into corpses, he creates zombies that inherit the fighting techniques and personality of the shadow's original owner while gaining the physical strength of the corpse. These zombies feel no pain, never tire, and cannot be truly killed as long as they retain their shadows.

As a last resort, Moria can absorb multiple shadows into himself through Shadow's Asgard. This dramatically increases his size and strength proportionally to the number of shadows consumed. However, this comes at the cost of coordination and agility, making it more of a desperate measure than a strategic technique.


Why Moria may have lost his Fruit in One Piece

Evidence from Hachinosu island suggests Gecko Moria may have lost his Shadow-Shadow Fruit powers during his encounter with the Blackbeard Pirates. When Moria arrived to rescue his subordinate Absalom, he learned that the latter had been killed and that his Clear-Clear Fruit transferred to Shiryu—confirming Blackbeard's pattern of targeting Devil Fruit users to acquire their abilities.

Moria ended up imprisoned on Hachinosu after he declined Blackbeard's invitation to join his crew. Blackbeard's known technique of acquiring Devil Fruits reveals his likely attempt to access Moria's shadow powers after imprisoning him.

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Blackbeard's intense anger after Moria escaped during a Marine raid (with help from Perona and Koby) indicates that he lost an important chance to utilize or transfer Moria's Devil Fruit powers. If Blackbeard had already successfully stolen the Shadow-Shadow Fruit, his reaction would probably have been less severe.

Though Moria's current power status remains unconfirmed, the Hachinosu incident strongly implies a significant change in his abilities. If he has indeed lost his Devil Fruit, it would mark a dramatic turning point for a character whose entire fighting style and pirate career centered around shadow manipulation.


Conclusion

Gecko Moria as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)
Gecko Moria as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

The unknown status of Gecko Moria's Devil Fruit powers deepens One Piece's intricate storytelling as the final act approaches. Since his encounter with Blackbeard, no one knows what became of Moria, which raises questions about the potential theft of his Shadow-Shadow Fruit.

Blackbeard's risky power accumulation strategy becomes apparent due to his efforts to gather formidable abilities for his crew. The end of the series could see Moria’s Devil Fruit status become a key factor in determining the power dynamics of One Piece’s world.


Also read

  • Blackbeard may steal this Holy Knight's Devil Fruit in One Piece (& it makes perfect sense)
  • Blackbeard's special lineage may be the key to One Piece fans' three Devil Fruits theory
  • Blackbeard may have a major connection to Imu (but not how One Piece fans think)

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