Since Armament Haki was confirmed to be able to harm Devil Fruit users, especially Logia types, fans have debated a key question for a long time. If Haki can counter Logia users, why does Teach still risk everything to hunt down the Yami Yami no Mi?
Even more striking, the Yami Yami no Mi seems to cause Teach intense pain. As the Final Saga progresses, the reason Teach values this Devil Fruit so highly becomes clearer.
1. Completely nullifies Devil Fruit powers on contact
This is the biggest advantage of the Yami Yami no Mi.
Imagine facing Luffy in Gear 5. Relying on Haki alone means still dealing with all the “insane” abilities Gear 5 grants, from Luffy’s rubber body to the countless absurd skills he can unleash.
The same applies when fighting Zoan users. Even if Haki can injure them, the physical advantages granted by their Devil Fruits remain intact.
The Yami Yami no Mi works differently. Once Teach touches an opponent, their Devil Fruit powers are instantly nullified for a certain period. Their body no longer benefits from their Devil Fruit, making them more vulnerable to follow-up attacks.
This becomes even more dangerous when Teach combines this nullification with the devastating shockwaves of the Gura Gura no Mi.
In other words, while Haki can injure Devil Fruit users, the Yami Yami no Mi can temporarily strip away the very source of their strength.
2. No need to win a Haki clash first
A major issue relying on Haki is that the strongest fighters in One Piece also possess extremely advanced Haki.
Many top characters can use high-level Armament Haki to enhance attacks or cover their bodies. This means that relying on Haki alone often requires surpassing the opponent’s Haki first to gain the upper hand.
The Yami Yami no Mi doesn’t follow this rule. As long as Teach can touch the target, their Devil Fruit powers are nullified without Teach needing to “win” a power clash.
Of course, Haki remains crucial if Teach wants to fight at the highest level. Still, the Yami Yami no Mi’s unique ability doesn’t depend on overpowering the opponent’s Devil Fruit strength. This is what makes Teach’s power especially dangerous.
3. Offers powerful offensive abilities beyond nullification
The Yami Yami no Mi is not just a tool to disable Devil Fruit powers. It also allows Teach to generate an incredibly strong gravitational pull, dragging opponents closer and breaking the safe distance they try to maintain.
Additionally, the darkness and gravity-related skills make it very hard for enemies to control the battle’s spacing. Once pulled in, fighting Teach becomes much more dangerous, especially if the opponent has lost their Devil Fruit abilities.
This means that while nullifying Devil Fruit powers is the most notable strength, the Yami Yami no Mi itself is a highly dangerous combat ability. Teach wields not only a “counter” to Devil Fruit users but also a terrifying offensive power that can be combined with other abilities.
4. Possibly the key to Teach stealing Devil Fruit powers
So far, the biggest mystery about the Yami Yami no Mi isn’t its combat ability. What’s truly terrifying is Teach’s apparent ability to steal Devil Fruit powers from others without waiting for those powers to naturally reincarnate.
This was first clearly shown when Teach took the Gura Gura no Mi from Whitebeard. Notably, this entire process happened behind a black curtain, keeping the true mechanism one of One Piece’s greatest mysteries.
Oda has yet to explain exactly how Teach accomplishes this. However, it’s very likely that the darkness of the Yami Yami no Mi plays a crucial role in transferring or “pulling” Devil Fruit powers from one user to another.
If this theory is correct, the Yami Yami no Mi isn’t just a natural counter to Devil Fruit users but may also be the key to explaining why Teach can possess multiple Devil Fruit abilities.
Clearly, this is something Haki cannot do.