What Does the Initial “D.” Stand for in One Piece? Explained!

The legend of the One Piece and One Piece as well start with the famed Pirate King, Gol D. Roger. And while a lot have tried to do so, Monkey D. Luffy seems to be the one destined to repeat Roger’s legacy. If you were observant enough, you’ve probably noticed that both of these characters have the initial D. in their names, although they are not related. Ever wondered what the “D.” stands for? In this article, we are going to tell you what the so-called Will of D. in One Piece is and what it actually represents.

The Will of D. is a term referring to a series of characters with the initial letter D. in their names. At this moment, not much is known about this phenomenon, but historically, a lot of powerful and important characters in the series have had or still have the Will of D., including Luffy, Roger, Ace, Garp, and Blackbeard, among others. They are considered to be the “natural enemies of God”.

The rest of this article is going to elaborate further on what we have written above about the phenomenon called Will of D. We are going to explain what it is, how it’s manifested, how it is perceived, and who has the initial. You’re also going to find out what it could mean, since it is currently unknown what the initial “D.” really stands for.

What is the Will of D. in One Piece?

In the One Piece universe, some people, Pirates, Revolutionaries, or Marines, have the initial “D”. This mysterious initial is worn by members of the clan of D. It’s impossible to know how significant the initial of the shared middle name is, but it seems that all of them share a similar faith in their own dreams. “D.” could therefore correspond to “Dream”; also, wielders of the “D.” seem to be able to withstand incredible punishment in battle and only surrender to death when they know there is no way to avoid it. “D” could, therefore, also mean “Destiny”.

In the SBS Volume 8 questions and answer corners of Oda, he is asked what the “D.” in Luffy’s name stands for. Oda simply replied that it’s a “D.” at the moment and that he intends to reveal the truth about this when the time comes. This was the first time Luffy’s “D.” was mentioned and Oda’s clue leads to a bigger mystery.

The “D.” is mentioned by Kureha the first time, then by Nico Robin in Alabasta, who said that she has been saved twice by people who had the initial “D.” in their names. The people in question are Jaguar D. Saul and Monkey D. Luffy. All carriers of the “D.” die smiling (as was seen in the cases of Gol D. Roger, Jaguar D. Saul, Portgas D. Ace, and even Portgas D. Rouge after giving birth). Similarly, Luffy believing that he was going to die in Loguetown, because of Buggy wanting to guillotine him, had a big smile, which disturbed Smoker who had attended, in the same place, the execution of the king of the pirates who had the same smile when dying.

The “D.” likewise represents the word “Danger” according to the members of the Five Elders, or somehow the carriers of the “D.” represent danger, given a large number of disruptors, from the point of view of the World Government, possessing this letter in their name. According to Trafalgar D. Law, himself a bearer of the “D.”, the “D.” will cause a tidal wave in this world. Shortly after the Battle of Marineford, the Five Elders say that the “D.” has been drawing attention to itself lately and that they need to be wary of it.

Donquixote Rosinante would later provide us with more information about the Will of D. In his country of origin, Mary Geoise, it is said that if a child is naughty, a “D.” will eat him. The elders of his clan say that as soon as a “D.” makes themselves known, it will cause a new storm. Trafalgar, listening to this in dread, asks if that means that he’s a monster; Corazon replies that no one knows the truth. “D.” can therefore be the equivalent of “Demon”, because it acts as a bogeyman in certain legends.

Moreover, also according to the story told by Rosinante, some people in the world have inherited this letter in secret and these people belonging to the clan of the “D.” are named “Natural Enemies of God” by the Celestial Dragons, who are considered to be “Gods”. At the end of the Dressrosa arc, Law and Sengoku are talking and the latter tells Sengoku that he is a “D.” and asks him what that means; Sengoku replies that “D.”s have the strangest fate.

We can also recall that during Robin’s flashback, Olvia crosses paths with Jaguar D. Saul and asks him what he is doing here, to which he replies that it must be fate. Whitebeard, shortly before dying, reveals some information about this mysterious “D.” as well, whom he knows from Roger himself. According to Newgate, bearers of the initial can transmit their will through time, saying that just as some people inherited Roger’s “D.”, some will inherit Ace’s. We can also notice that Nico Robin was rescued by Jaguar D. Saul on the island of Ohara, who orders her to live and find friends at sea. At present, she is still part of the Straw Hat Pirates; this is interpreted as proof that the giant had transmitted his will to them beyond death.

Besides, even Sengoku was shocked to hear that, as if it could really happen. In the story, the manga provides some important clues about the “D.” and their roles. Indeed, behind the legend of this letter could, in fact, hide a secret that could shake the world. Dr. Kureha was the first person in the manga to notice the letter “D.” in Monkey D. Luffy; she seems to be aware of the connection to Gol D. Roger and announces that he will be a highly dangerous person. Robin is the second person to mention this letter, as we have said.

She has always searched for answers on this one by asking Luffy, Jaguar D. Saul, and Silvers Rayleigh, what the meaning of “D.” is, but no one actually provided her with an answer, making the mystery even more intriguing with time. After discovering Roger’s message written on a Poneglyph, she is convinced that Luffy will have a very big impact on the changes in the world to come. Law is the third person who came with the initial “D.”, affirming his trust in Luffy and revealing to Donquixote Doflamingo that the “D.” will bring great upheavals to come which, one day, will wreak havoc on the world.

History shows that the “D.” has contributed each time to the creation of important consequences both historically and politically. During the story, we notice that the “D.” always meet at certain specific places during big events (ex: Loguetown on East Blue; Baterilla on South Blue; Drum, Alabasta, Water Seven, Skypiea, Sabaody, Impel Down, Marineford, Fishman Island and Dressrosa on the Grand Line).

In the past, Roger knew of the connection between the Will of the D. and the Void Century and passed the information on to Whitebeard before his death. He says that the legend of this letter dates back to a very ancient past, perhaps in connection with the Great Kingdom. Ever since, Edward Newgate has understood that when people with the “D.” and their lineage die, then other “D.” and their successors are destined to inherit their will. Indeed, the line of the King of the Pirates is extinct but still burns symbolically despite the extinction of this line being deemed cursed.

There are people who have inherited Roger’s “will” and other people will inherit Ace’s in turn, as was explained by Whitebeard himself. Also according to the prediction, a person whose coming has been announced for generations, will be designated as the depositary of their vows (by exercising the “D.”) and will bring proof of the “history of the void centuries” as an heir. By carrying the burden of this discovery, he will stand up against the whole world to challenge it in a “struggle foreseen since antiquity”. One day, a gigantic war will break out on a global scale, in a merciless fight. Whitebeard ends with one of his last sentences: “The One Piece exists!” which proves that there is a link between this legend and the mysterious treasure. This is all we know about this topic, as Oda hasn’t revealed much, but we’re looking forward to new information as they come our way.

The known possessors of the Will of D. are (as Law’s younger sister, Lamy might have also had the Will of D., but this has not been confirmed, so we’re listing her as a presumed possessor here):