One Piece Theory: Zunesha Was Punished By The Kozuki Clan During The Void Age

The endless mysteries of One Piece always leave behind small clues that allow fans to speculate on the most likely outcome. Zunesha is another mystery in the series that seems to have a connection to Joy Boy, an important character known to have lived during the Age of the Void. In the “Zou” arc, Zunesha is helpless against Jack’s relentlessness and begs someone to order her to fight. The Beast Pirates attempt to wipe out the Mink Tribe and Millennial Civilization by destroying Zunesha. Jack doesn’t just destroy the entire country, he returns to kill Zunesha and wipe out the Mink Tribe without a trace.

What’s even more disturbing is that despite her gigantic size, Zunesha makes no move against attackers. He explains that he was punished by someone for a horrible crime and has been unable to do anything but walk for ages. No one can hear his voice except Luffy and Momonosuke, the same powers as Pirate King Roger and Kozuki Oden. After receiving permission from Momonosuke, Zunesha counterattacks and manages to defeat Jack once and for all. This whole ordeal and ensuing events suggest that Zunesha’s punishment and the Kozuki clan must have some connection.

What do Zunesha fans know so far?

Zunesha is a Naitamie-Norida elephant, a gigantic species of elephant whose legs extend to the bottom of the ocean, which explains why Zunesha can walk in the middle of the ocean. So far, Zunesha is the only animal of this species to have been shown in the series. In addition to their disproportionate long legs, they have two joints at the knees. Zunesha has exceptional eyesight, which allows her to see distant objects and places with great clarity. In contrast to her unique eye ability, Zunesha’s eyes are relatively small, with turquoise-rimmed irises. The elephant’s sunken eye sockets make the irises hardly noticeable, but the resemblance of its eyes to those of Mihawk and Imu is very clear.

Also, due to her advanced age, Zunesha’s skin is very wrinkled and has weakened over time, allowing Jack to inflict damage on her legs using cannons. It is not known if this species is immortal or not, but one thing is certain: these elephants have a life expectancy of more than 1,000 years. Zunesha has been carrying the Mink Tribe on her back for longer. So far, it’s the oldest living creature featured in the series, with its lifespan even predating the Age of the Void.

Zou, the island on Zunesha’s back, in One Piece by Eiichiro Oda.

Zunesha stands over 35 kilometers tall, making her the tallest character ever introduced in the series. For an unknown crime he committed in the past, Zunesha wanders the sea, unable to do anything but walk, unless given explicit permission to do so. In the “Zou” arc, after getting permission from Momonosuke to fight, Zunesha easily wipes out Jack’s fleet by simply swinging his huge trunk. Dr. Miyagi of the Mink Tribe expresses his desire to ask Zunesha where he is heading, speculating that the latter has walked all these centuries with one destination in mind.

Additionally, he can communicate telepathically with those who have the “Voice of All Things.” The range of this telepathy is unknown, but it’s certainly wide considering that Zunesha is able to communicate with Momonosuke in the “Wano Country” arc. Momonosuke claims that Zunesha was Joy Boy’s classmate during the Age of the Void. Zunesha still remembers Joy Boy today and expresses her nostalgia when Luffy’s Devil Fruit is awakened.

Why does this theory seem plausible?

During Jack’s attack, Luffy and Momonosuke hear Zunesha’s voice for the first time. The fact that Zunesha asks someone to give her permission to fight suggests that it doesn’t matter who gives permission, as long as they get it. However, only Momonosuke orders Zunesha to fight, while Luffy still tries to figure out what’s going on. Also, Zunesha travels to Wano to aid the Kozuki clan, but runs into a large fleet of Marine battleships. Zunesha then communicates with Momonosuke through the Voice of All Things, asking for permission to fight for his cause and open Wano’s borders.

After Luffy’s Devil Fruit awakens, Zunesha declares Joy Boy’s return and affirms Joy Boy’s destiny as a “liberation warrior”. After Kaido’s defeat, Zunesha and Momonosuke discuss Wano again, with the young shogun believing that now is not the right time to open Wano’s borders. Zunesha accepts Momonosuke’s decision and leaves Wano, disappearing into the mist. Individually, all of these scenarios may seem like mere coincidences; however, Oda has a reputation for never showing anything redundant. The fact that Zunesha is able to go this far for the sake of the Kozuki clan suggests that the two have a past connection.

Zunesha and Joy Boy

Moreover, although punished for eternity, Zunesha shows no sign of resentment towards the one who sentenced him; rather, he blames himself for his crimes. Luffy and Momonosuke are the only two characters present to have heard Zunesha’s voice. However, the fact that only Momonosuke and Zunesha have such a bond is surprising, considering that Luffy has almost no interaction with the elephant despite being able to communicate with it. The fact that Luffy doesn’t order Zunesha to fight suggests there’s more to it than meets the eye. Although Zunesha sees Joy Boy in Luffy and has the utmost trust in the latter, the two have never had a one-on-one interaction in the series yet. Therefore, given past ties, it’s highly likely that Zunesha is serving her sentence under someone from the Kozuki clan – more specifically, the clan leader.

However, whether Zunesha walked to somewhere is yet another mystery since her destination is unknown. The Kozuki clan is shrouded in mystery and is known to play a major role in the Age of the Void. It is also possible that it was the Kozuki clan who over 800 years ago speculated that a major event would occur in the distant future, leaving behind poneglyphs as clues to discover the past. Toki is also so intrigued by this distant future that she travels through time to witness this so-called major event. Therefore, if the Kozuki Clan is truly behind Zunesha’s punishment, it’s all the more likely that they set a destination and future role for the gigantic elephant.