Is Davy D. Jones the Missing Link to One Piece’s Will of D?

Massive One Piece spoiler warning for chapter 1164. If you want to go in clean, bail now. For everyone else: Oda just linked two of the story's biggest mysteries in a way I did not have on my bingo card.

The Will of D. finally spelled out

Chapter 1164 drops the bomb: the Will of D. is the Will of Davy Jones. Yes, that Davy Jones — though in One Piece terms, he is Davy D. Jones, a legendary pirate from roughly 800 years ago who tangled with the World Government and paid for it. According to the chapter, he was cursed by a demon to live the rest of his life on the sea floor. He is also a distant ancestor of Rocks D. Xebec.

Because of Davy's feud with the World Government, his family went underground. The idea was to keep the D. in their names hidden, and it sounds like the Government then spent centuries hunting down his descendants anyway. Subtlety is not their thing.

Rocks vs. Imu, and a lot of secrets spill out

The chapter puts Rocks D. Xebec face-to-face with Imu. Rocks threatens Imu using the Will of Davy Jones, and the exchange pulls back the curtain on several big pieces of lore. Among them: Rocks says Davy D. Jones was the previous King of the World. Imu adds that fate ties Imu and Davy together — and, importantly, that Rocks himself is not part of that fate. Also, Imu has two names he actually fears: Davy D. Jones and Joyboy.

The God Valley reframe

We also get a new angle on the God Valley incident. Imu took control of Rocks there and ordered him to stamp out Davy's dream. Rocks fell under Imu's power and realized he had been made the instrument to wipe out Davy's bloodline with his own hands. Imu then told him to eliminate every obstacle in God Valley. If you were wondering how threatened Imu feels by Davy's legacy, there is your answer.

So what is 'the promise'?

Rocks says Imu has long been afraid that someone would inherit Davy's will and fulfill 'the promise.' The chapter does not spell out what that promise actually is. The obvious read: it likely means toppling the World Government or dethroning Imu, which would explain the centuries-long campaign against the Davy clan.

Where Luffy fits into this

Given his name and that infamous middle initial, Luffy might be a descendant of the Davy line. Add to that: he now wields the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika — and chapter 1164 says that fruit once belonged to Imu. If you connect those dots, Luffy starts to look like the one fated to carry out Davy D. Jones's will.

• The Will of D. is revealed to be the Will of Davy Jones.
• Davy D. Jones lived about 800 years ago, was cursed to the sea floor, and is an ancestor of Rocks D. Xebec.
• The Davy family hid their 'D.' to avoid the World Government, which still hunted them for centuries.
• Rocks tells Imu that Davy D. Jones was the previous King of the World.
• Imu says fate binds him and Davy; Rocks is not part of that fate.
• Imu fears two figures: Davy D. Jones and Joyboy.
• At God Valley, Imu seized control of Rocks, ordering him to end Davy's dream and wipe out Davy's bloodline, plus remove all obstacles there.
• Imu has been trying to erase Davy's lineage from history to block the rise of another 'King of the World.'
• The mysterious 'promise' tied to the Will of D. remains undefined, but likely targets the World Government/Imu.
• Luffy might be from the Davy line, and he carries the Nika fruit that once belonged to Imu — pointing him toward inheriting Davy's will.

Bottom line: this chapter ties ancient history, God Valley, Imu's paranoia, and Luffy's destiny into one very loaded package. Big swings, wild revelations, and a lot of implications for the endgame.

One Piece manga is currently available to read on Viz Media.