Pell’s claim that only five Devil Fruits grant the ability to fly has been one of the most debated details in One Piece for over two decades. Now, creator Eiichiro Oda has officially addressed this and offered an explanation that surprised many fans.
In the Alabasta arc, specifically chapter 169 of the manga, Pell revealed his power by transforming into a hawk and stated that only five Devil Fruits in the world allow their users to fly.
At the time, this was an intriguing detail that highlighted the rarity of sky-related abilities. However, as One Piece expanded, this statement became a never-ending topic of debate among fans.
More characters gain flying abilities over time
Over the years, readers have seen numerous characters who can fly or move freely in the air.
Examples include Marco with the Phoenix fruit, King with his ancient Pteranodon powers, Stronger after transforming into a Pegasus, and Shiki with the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi. Many other abilities also allow characters to hover or fight in the air in various ways.
This led many to believe Oda had forgotten Pell’s original statement or that it was simply a setup error in the early stages of One Piece.
Oda’s official explanation in SBS Volume 115
In the SBS section of Volume 115, a fan directly asked Eiichiro Oda about this issue.
Instead of denying or revising the old detail, Oda gave a simple but reasonable answer: “How can one person know everything in the world?”
According to Oda, Pell’s statement only reflects what the character knew at that time, not an absolute truth about the One Piece world.
In other words, Pell wasn’t lying. He simply didn’t know about all the Devil Fruit powers that exist.
This explanation fits well with One Piece’s setting, where information is often limited by geography, World Government control, and many secrets remain undisclosed.
The line was also a reminder for Oda himself
Interestingly, Oda revealed the real purpose behind Pell’s famous line. It wasn’t just to introduce the character’s power but also served as a reminder to himself during the creative process.
He wanted to remind himself that even though he could invent countless abilities that let characters fly, he shouldn’t overuse this idea. One Piece is fundamentally a story about the ocean, sea voyages, and exploration.
If too many characters could fly freely, the significance of ships, sea journeys, and crossing oceans would be greatly diminished. Oda said he still holds the view that flying abilities should remain rare and special in the One Piece world.
Pell’s statement makes sense from the One Piece world perspective
In fact, Oda’s explanation fits well with the story’s context. The One Piece world is divided by vast oceans, making information transmission extremely difficult. Even true stories are sometimes treated as legends or myths.
A good example is Louis Arnotte’s records about Little Garden and Elbaf. Although he visited these places, his accounts are still considered hard to verify.
Therefore, it’s not surprising that a royal warrior from Alabasta like Pell only knew about five flying Devil Fruits, especially since Alabasta is far from the events happening in the latter half of the Grand Line.