In the world of One Piece, Haki is a mysterious power. It allows individuals to harness their own spiritual energy for achieving superhuman feats. While fans know that only a few can use Haki, the origin of Haki has never been explained in the series.
Oftentimes, Haki is compared to the Chakra system in Naruto. While Haki is a willpower-based ability, Chakra integrates spiritual and physical energies and is the basis of any ninjutsu. One fan theory suggests that Haki might have far more potential than Naruto‘s Chakra power system.
A One Piece Theory Attempts to Explain Haki and Its Difference From Chakra
Credits: Viz Media, Shueisha
According to a fan theory on Reddit, Haki is the rhythm or the pulse of life. However, it is different from Chakra, because Haki is from the Earth itself, and it is not just born into a human. The theory suggests that the Haki usage of One Piece characters differs because every person has a different resonance with Earth. Only those who are true to themselves and have the extreme willpower to follow through with their dreams can have the strongest Haki abilities.
In the world of One Piece, rhythm is a constant motif. The Drums of Liberation, Bink’s Sake, and plenty of other elements are themselves based on rhythm. Shanks’ Haki might be powerful because he is so attuned to the world at large that he can sense any shift in the Earth’s rhythm before it can even happen.
Thus, those who are attuned to the Earth’s rhythm are the ones with the most powerful Haki. Chakra, on the other hand, did not naturally exist amongst the humans in Naruto. Kaguya ate their planet’s chakra fruit; thus, her sons, Hamura and Hagoromo, were born with it. Hagoromo was the one to spread chakra to humans, intending to connect people’s spiritual energy so that they could achieve peace.
Here is a table explaining the three types of Haki:
Haki TypePowersAdvanced UsageObservation HakiAllows users to sense the strength, emotion, and presence of others, despite being far awayAllows the user to foresee a short period into the futureArmament HakiAllows the user to use their aura as armor and bypass Devil Fruit defensesAllows the user to emit a short distance and flow into a target’s body to destroy it from withinSupreme King HakiAllows the user to overwhelm the will of others with their ownInfusing spirit into weapons and attacks, and manipulating one’s aura to remain undetectable (Observation Killing)
The Haki Theory Can Explain Imu’s Powers and Domi Reversi
Imu’s Domi Reversi might be able to disrupt one’s rhythm | Credits: Viz Media, Shueisha
If Haki is the power to be attuned with Earth’s rhythm, Imu’s powers might cause a disruption in said rhythm. Imu can use Domi Reversi, which transforms its target into a demon. In recent One Piece chapters, Imu has demonstrated the ability to turn opponents into demons through various methods, including stabbing them with black tendrils.
It may be possible that Imu’s powers actually rely on throwing someone off their rhythm. According to the theory, Imu disrupts the rhythm of targets so thoroughly that they become possessed and fall under Imu’s control. By losing their connection to the Earth, they also lose much of their willpower, which connects them to their dreams and goals.
This could be why Imu is afraid of Joy Boy’s return. Joy Boy was capable of tying his Haki into a knot and preserving it to be released in a powerful burst later. The burst is so intense and pure that Imu’s powers might fail against it, restoring the rhythm to those who were affected by Imu.
What do you think about this One Piece theory? Do you think Eiichiro Oda might actually be intending something similar? Let us know in the comments below.
One Piece anime is currently available to stream on Crunchyroll.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
