The alias Luffy used at the Colosseum — “Lucy” — is a nickname for the fallen angel Lucifer, making it likely that Luffy is modeled on Lucifer. His father’s name, Dragon, represents the devil in scripture, and his grandfather’s name, Garp, is also the name of one of the 72 demons of Solomon.
Devil Worship
And what’s more, the Straw Hat crew consists of:
- Zoro as Asura — the enemy of the gods in Hindu mythology
- Nami as a witch
- Usopp as the boy who cried wolf
- Sanji as Ifrit — a djinn
- Chopper as a monster
- Robin as “the child of the devil”
- Franky as Frankenstein
- Brook as a walking skeleton
…all of them beings that stand opposed to the gods.
So One Piece — where devils and monsters gather to fight the World Government with its cross-emblazoned flag — is a manga about “a band of devils taking down God,” and can be called a devil worship manga.
Did you know that Christmas has never once appeared in a One Piece color spread? Christmas is Christ’s resurrection festival — its symbol is the cross — and in the world of One Piece, the cross is the mark of the enemy organization. So Oda never draws Christmas, but draws Halloween color spreads — celebrating monsters — multiple times.
This week’s cover spread features a witch and a dragon — both enemies of god. So much for the “One Piece is a devil worship manga” theory, timed to match the cover and the Halloween season.
This Week’s Homages
On top of the Drum Kingdom arc homage that has been running since the end of the Egghead arc, this week also featured homages to Jaya, the Flying Fish Riders, and Skypiea. The fake Sun God probably fits somewhere in that category. Let me break them down.
- Drum Kingdom: an evil king
- Jaya: descendants of liars
- Skypiea: an evil god
- Duval: an impostor (a lookalike)
The Flying Fish Riders
- A creature with handlebars like an American chopper motorcycle
- A fake claiming to be a god before the real Sun God (Nika)
- Glaring through a mask
These three shared points suggest a Flying Fish Riders homage. And if so, the fake Sun God will probably be settled as quickly as Duval — becoming a subordinate rather than a true villain.
Bug Phobia
- Nami and Sanji’s bug phobia
- Being attacked by bees
- Chopper translating for the animals
These three shared points suggest a Jaya arc homage. And since Jaya and Skypiea are a set, Skypiea homages follow.
The Place You Must Never Enter
- A sacred domain you must never enter
- Luffy immediately wanting to go there
These two shared points make this Skypiea homage #1.
Chopper Alone as the Sacrifice
- Chopper alone and terrified
- Reuniting with the crew and bursting into tears
These shared points make this Skypiea homage #2.
The Giant Snake
- Attacked by a giant bird
- Attacked by a giant snake
- The dwelling place of a god
These three shared points make this Skypiea homage #3. But the fake Sun God is probably not a proper boss like Enel — it’ll likely be over as quickly as Duval.
The Pet Names
The pets the fake Sun God was winning with had names drawn from Norse mythology.
The crow “Mugin” — probably a fusion of Huginn (Thought) and Muninn (Memory), the two ravens that serve Odin, the chief god of Norse mythology.
The snake “Hirumungard” — Hiru (daytime) Mungard → Yoru (nighttime) Mungard → Jormungandr. Named after the great serpent of Norse mythology.
I couldn’t figure out the origin of “Iscatto” the cat — let me know on X if you do!
Zeus, for comparison, uses the name of the chief god of Greek mythology directly — and has corresponding power. (Though in the end, the chief god ended up as a witch’s servant.) The slight alterations to the mythological names here suggest these pets are simply ordinary animals with no Devil Fruit abilities.
One thing I’m curious about is the size of the giants — are they colossal-type giants, or did some ability shrink Luffy and the crew to doll size…?
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That’s all for this chapter. See you next week!