This article contains spoilers from Eiichiro Oda's One Piece.
Devil Fruits form the primary power system of the One Piece world. They were introduced to the fans right at the beginning of the series, and the very first Devil Fruit that fans saw was Luffy's Gomu Gomu no Mi. Since then, Oda has introduced the fans to a plethora of Devil Fruits, and their numbers are only going to grow as the Final Saga One Piece continues.
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As One Piece delves deeper into the true mysteries of the world, some questions often pop up, such as how Devil Fruits were made, and which Devil Fruit was the first to be made. Of course, Oda has not delivered a clear-cut answer to this question, but he has sprinkled hints throughout the story that explain to the fans why the Gomu Gomu no Mi, or in other words, the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika, was the first Devil Fruit to ever exist in the One Piece world.
The Hito Hito No Mi, Model: Nika Was Likely The First Devil Fruit Ever Created
When considering the creation of Devil Fruits, fans know for a fact that they were man-made. Devil Fruits were recreated by none other than Vegapunk, and he tried to replicate the achievements of the Ancient Kingdom. This clearly means that those who existed in the old times, 900 years ago, were the ones responsible for the creation of the Devil Fruits.
Every Devil Fruit that exists was wished for by someone else who existed before in the past. — Vegapunk
This is also supported by the Harley directly, which states in the second world that the Forest God sent forth demons, and this clearly means that Devil Fruits came to be in the Second World for the very first time.
To understand which Devil Fruit was the first to be created, one only needs to look at Vegapunk's meaning of what Devil Fruits represent. According to him, Devil Fruits are simply a pathway to a different human evolution. Every Devil Fruit that exists was wished or dreamt up by someone who existed before. This means Devil Fruits directly come from the wishes of the people and those with Devil Fruit powers exist in a different dimension altogether.
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Now, to understand which Devil Fruit was the first to exist, one only needs to look at the state of the One Piece world long ago. The world of One Piece was first destroyed after the First World when the Earth God teamed up with the Serpent of Hellfire. In the Second World, new life was birthed, according to the Harley, and it is in this period that the Devil Fruits came into existence.
The Forest God sent forth demons. — Harley, One Piece
However, the fact remains clear that oppression and slavery were still rampant at this time. Nika only comes when oppression reaches new heights and the fact is that when oppression exists, the hearts of the people only desire one thing, and that is liberation.
Nika Was Likely Created By The Wishes Of The Oppressed
Given that slavery and oppression were rampant in the Second World, most hearts would have wanted liberation and freedom from chains. This is precisely why the very first Devil Fruit to come into existence that the people dreamt and wished for would be the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika. This Devil Fruit was eaten by Joy Boy, who came from the Ancient Kingdom, and he eventually led a war against the 20 Kings.
Nika's Imagination Could Have Created Other Devil Fruits
It has already been explained in One Piece that Nika arrives whenever oppression reaches its peak and when people of the world call out for him. Now, coming over to the other Devil Fruits, they were also created from the imagination and the wishes of people. However, Nika himself could have actually played a significant role in bringing them to life.
Nika's power, according to Oda himself, is the power of imagination. Through his power of imagination, he can give rise to just about anything. Perhaps, it was this ability of Nika that allowed him to imagine other Devil Fruits for the different people of the world.
Eiichiro Oda's One Piece will be featured in this week's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue. The official release date of One Piece Chapter 1167 is November 30, 2025. In Japan, One Piece drops at 12AM JST on Monday, which is 11:00 AM EST, or 8:00 AM PT. Fans can read the chapter for free on Manga Plus and the Shonen Jump apps.