Eiichiro Oda’sOne Pieceis a fascinating story with one of the most immersive worlds in all fiction. Right from the very beginning, Oda has shown fans how good he is at making his world feel alive, and together with the Straw Hat Pirates, fans have been taken to some of the most incredible places such as Skypiea, Fishman Island, and Whole Cake Island, among other places.
As expected, all the places in theOne Pieceworld have a history attached to them that only adds to the lore, and while all the above-mentioned places carry deep significance to the plot, there is something special about the island called Zou. Zou is known to be a large country on the back of a giant elephant that towers over 10,000 meters, Zunesha. The elephant has numerous mysteries surrounding it and some of them are even linked to the Void Century itself, which is what makes it special.
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Who Is Zunesha?
Zunesha is an ancient elephant that has been roaming the Grand Line aimlessly for centuries. On its back, Zunesha carries the civilization of the Minks, who live in a country called Zou. While Zunesha has been carrying them for centuries, it doesn’t seem to have the ability to communicate with the Minks. Nonetheless, the Minks have come to understand most of its habits, such as bathing itself which usually results in a temporary flood in Zou. The Minks care deeply about it, and despite not being able to talk to it, they’re well aware of the fact that Zunesha is special. This was evident from the fact that they fixed him up when he was injured and were deeply concerned when Jack attacked it.
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The most intriguing thing about Zunesha is the fact that it’s been roaming across the Grand Line for around 800 years without ever stopping. According to Nekomamushi, one ofthe leaders of the Mink Tribe, long ago, Zunesha was sentenced to walk for eternity after it committed a big crime. Fans don’t know what it is that Zunesha did, however, it is likely got something to do with the Void Century, the Ancient Kingdom, and the war against the World Government.
So far, only a handful of people have been able to hear Zunesha’s voice. WhenGol D. Roger arrived on Zou, he, along with Kozuki Oden, was able to hear its voice using the Voice of All Things. Strangely enough, while Roger and Oden could listen to it, they couldn’t converse with it for some reason. However, over 20 years later, when Momonosuke arrived on Zou, he displayed the ability to talk to Zunesha and even order it in battle.
Zunesha’s Role In The Future Of One Piece
Ever since being introduced in the Zou arc ofOne Piece, Zunesha has always been a plot point that fans knew Eiichiro Oda would come back to one day. Towards the end of the Zou arc, Luffy departed for Whole Cake Island, while Nekomamushi and his Guardians left to seek out Marco, and Trafalgar Law, along with half of the Straw Hat crew and the Samurai went to Wano Country. Surprisingly, Momonosuke decided to stay behind and try to understand Zunesha more. As expected, this was Eiichiro Oda foreshadowing Momonosuke and Zunesha’s deepening bond.
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In the Wano Country arc, Zunesha once again returned towards the end and stood in the path of the World Government forces who were attempting to take over the country. Immediately after, the elephant contacted Momonosuke and fans got to know that Zunesha was Joy Boy’s companion once. With the end of the Wano Country arc, fans are going to see a lot more of the elephant. TheWorld Government ships are the first obstaclethat Zunesha needs to deal with and whether it’s on Momonosuke’s order or without it, Zunesha is going to clear them out without much trouble, saving Wano Country in the process.
More importantly, it is its past that the fans are looking forward to the most. Zunesha being a companion of Joy Boy could mean that fans get a look into the past through Momonosuke, who seems to have learned a lot about him through Oden’s logbook. Fans can get to seehow Zunesha met Joy Boy, how their relationship was built, and why Zunesha was eventually punished and made to walk across the seas for centuries.
Along with that, Zunesha’s understanding with Momonosuke will inevitably build and the two could go on to become great friends, just like the elephant was with Joy Boy long ago. Inevitably, all of Luffy’s allies will likely take part in the final war against the World Government, which could mean that a proper chance for Zunesha to redeem itself could arrive there. For now,the Wano Country arc is pacing towards its endand Zunesha still has ways to go before potentially aiding the next Joy Boy in the final war that has been repeatedly prophesied for long.
