Warning: The following article contains spoilers for One Piece’s Egghead arc for anime-only watchers.
In over 1,000 chapters since its release in 1997, One Piece has continuously indulged fans in an uncanny fantasy adventure with some of the most well-rounded characters ever coming out of the manga stratosphere. Although representing a story about pirates working together to achieve their lifelong – almost egotistical – dreams, Eiichiro Oda has made the readers sympathize with nearly every character introduced, despite their flaws or their paradoxical morals.
As the anime heads to Wano’s mid-arc, readers of the manga know what the future holds for the Straw Hats, the Heart pirates, and the former warlords of the sea – to some degree, at least. In good old Oda fashion, only bits and pieces of each ongoing storyline have been unveiled, but a name that has previously been mentioned has made a triumphant return. During Blackbeard and Kuzan’s newfound bonding experiences, the mysterious title “the man marked by flames” has been brought up once more, leaving fans wondering who this overpowered character might be. Here are some of the most likely guesses for the man who can create whirlwinds in the sea, possesses a poneglyph, and sails on a black boat.
Monkey D. Dragon
The most popular contender among theorizing fans is Monkey D. Dragon. Luffy’s mysterious father was only introduced in Loguetown as a hidden figure who saved the captain of the Straw Hats. This mysterious man’s identity was only unveiled much later on in the story, and yet since his introduction, not much information has been revealed aside from his identity as the leader of the Revolutionary Army and as Garp’s son — and of course, his undying hatred for the Celestial Dragons.
The extent of his fighting prowess is nothing but speculative, but as many fans have pointed out, his power likely derives from changing the weather – perhaps even possessing the Wind Wind fruit after a gust of air engulfed Smoker in Loguetown. Albeit mere speculation, this power could certainly confirm the whirlwind happening under the sea, as described in chapter 1081, aside from his obvious tattoo reminiscent of a scar on his face. In addition to all of the likely connections to Dragon, his ship is also seemingly black in the manga, which goes accordingly to the information in the latest chapter.
Jaguar D. Saul
This is very likely a big surprise for anime-only fans, but Saul is alive – unlike the events at Ohara might have entailed. Presumably dead, engulfed by flames when Ohara was decimated from the map, Saul and Aokiji were the propellers for the future of the sea when they opted to save Robin from the hands of the government, giving a little girl a second chance at life. Granting her a new life, Saul’s faith was painful to watch, as his body was left behind frozen at Ohara for history to disappear.
During Egghead, the belief that he passed away was torn down when, during a flashback between Dr. Vegapunk and Dragon, the image of Saul collecting the books saved by the scholars suddenly showed up. Not only was the giant and former Vice Admiral alive, albeit not entirely unscathed, but he also salvaged hundreds of books containing “forbidden” information, which he saved by taking them to Elbaf. While it is unlikely that Saul sails on a black boat or is capable of creating whirlwinds (though not entirely impossible given his massive size), he is still a man that was marked by flames over 20 years ago.
Sabo
Perhaps nothing but an idea, “Flame Emperor” Sabo has likely crossed everyone’s minds whenever the “man marked by flames” is mentioned. Aside from having the Flame Flame fruit, previously owned by his brother Ace, Sabo’s only connection to ever being the “man marked by flames,” derives from his power obtained by the fruit, as well as his eye scar from back when his small boat caught in flames upon being targeted by Saint Jalmack. While undoubtedly strong, proving that he could certainly cause an uproar among some of the strongest pirates and admirals at sea, the Revolutionary Army’s chief of staff is a popular theory, albeit an unlikely one.
Sabo’s dream from when he was a child was to be a pirate – much like his sworn brothers, Ace and Luffy – however, while he still carries Ace’s legacy, his newfound target lies in pursuing the goals of the Revolutionary Army, and not exactly in becoming a pawn in the sea fare. Moreover, his possession of a poneglyph is also unlikely, since Sabo doesn’t even have his own boat, much less a black boat to carry a poneglyph around.
Urouge
One more popular guess is a character that may have slipped many fans’ minds. Urouge, nicknamed “Mad Monk,” is one of the 12 pirates referred to as being part of the “Worst Generation.” Massive in size, Urouge’s presence has been fickle, to say the least. After the time skip, the pirate was only seen once more in Whole Cake when he defeated Charlotte Snack, one of Big Mom’s Four Sweet commanders, who had a bounty of over 600 million berries. Befitting to his size, his ginormous strength would certainly make it possible for him to cause a whirlwind under the sea, although it is not clear how.
Most of the theories regarding his possible identity as the “man marked by flames” derive from his flame-like tattoos prominent on the upper side of his arms. Aside from his artistic features, very little may connect Urouge to this mysterious person in possession of unfathomable power — and a poneglyph on top of that. Besides, the Fallen Monk pirates have a fairly colorful ship, with a daunting face in the front, going against the fact that the “man marked by flames” sails on a black ship.
A new character (Davy Jones)
The last possible solution for who this mysterious figure may be, might just come off as a surprise in all its entirety. For avid fans of One Piece, Oda’s writing may no longer be as unpredictable as it once was, but time and time again, this ingenious author proves that he can surprise fans week after week, and the identity of the “man marked by flames,” may as well just be one of the many introductory surprises in the blue sea.
Aside from the likely chance that it may be a character that we have never been previously introduced to, many theories suggest that it might also be someone we have heard of: David D. Jones. The older brother of Gol D. Roger and the uncle of the late Portgas D. Ace, Davy Jones has only made a very faint appearance in the story during a monstrous depiction of his outer looks. While is it not known how he may connect to being marked by flames, Davy Jones might have inherited a poneglyph from his brother prior to his passing. In addition to that, considering that inherently nothing is known from this character aside from being undeniably powerful, it is fairly possible that he sails on a black ship, and creates whirlwinds on the sea.
Several names have also arisen among the most avid of theorists. From Elen to Shiki the golden lion, One Piece fans are known for their relentless theorizing and child-like curiosity. Considering Oda’s equally interestingly chaotic and surrealistic writing, nothing is ever impossible, but only time – and Oda – will tell who this “man marked by flames” may be.