One Piece Creator Tackles Major Plot Hole in the Series

Let’s take a trip back to the early 2000s. In January 2001, Michael Jordan became the fourth player in NBA history to hit 30,000 career points. Donnie Darko premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and English-language Wikipedia made its debut. Meanwhile, Eiichiro Oda, the mastermind behind One Piece, penned a line in his manga that would haunt him for the next 25 years.

In chapter 169 of One Piece, during the intense Alabasta arc—which is set to be adapted in the upcoming season 3 of the live-action series—Luffy and the Straw Hats are up against the formidable Baroque Works organization. Just when things look dire, Pell, one of Princess Vivi’s bodyguards, swoops in to save her. He reveals his Tori Tori no Mi, Model: Falcon powers and makes a bold claim that would later stir controversy: only five Devil Fruit abilities in the world grant the power of flight.

The Straw Hats are set to arrive in Alabasta sooner than expected.

This assertion has been debunked numerous times throughout the series, turning it into a running joke among fans. With the diverse elemental powers of Logia types and countless transformation abilities, many Devil Fruit users in the One Piece universe can indeed take to the skies. Fans often chalk this inconsistency up to the natural evolution of a long-running series. Oda simply changed his mind over the years, and that’s that. However, in the SBS (Q&A) for volume 115 of One Piece, released in Japan on July 3, the author finally shed light on this plot hole, revealing there’s more to it than just a change of heart.

According to a translation shared on X by @pewpiece, Oda attributes the mistake to Pell’s limited worldview. He also notes that the line held a different significance for him. One Piece is fundamentally a pirate manga, and Oda aimed to keep the focus on the sea and sailing ships. As he expanded the power system and introduced more outlandish abilities, he wanted to restrict the number of characters who could fly, as it would detract from the series’ nautical theme. Essentially, he was reminding himself not to overindulge in the concept of flight.

Oda concludes his explanation with a personal note to himself, emphasizing that flying should remain a rare and extraordinary ability in One Piece. However, it seems that ship has sailed. In the latest arc of the manga, nearly every major character has some form of flight capability, whether it’s Luffy’s reality-bending Gear 5 powers, Loki’s Devil Fruit transformation, or Sanji’s classic sky walk technique.

It’s amusing that Oda chose to revisit a minor plot hole from 25 years ago, acknowledging that his fans are deeply invested and attentive to every detail. It also offers a fascinating glimpse into his worldbuilding process. Even if he couldn’t keep flight as a rare phenomenon, he demonstrated that he’s always been committed to making One Piece feel distinct and engaging.