Viral One Piece Theory Suggest Zoro's Best Friend Is Not As Dead As We All Thought

The Elbaph arc of the One Piece manga series has opened the door for fans to create intricate theories about it. In just a few chapters, this latest storyline in Eiichiro Oda’s masterpiece has created a plethora of mysteries that are yet to be answered. From the truth behind Shanks’ supposed twin to the reason behind Loki’s imprisonment, there are many topics the series will have to address.

Among them, the mysterious woman who traveled to Elbaph with the Emperor’s lookalike is one of the most intriguing. Next to nothing is known about this character, except that she works for the World Government and has strange powers. Still, there is a fan who has come up with an interesting theory that could explain the identity of this deadly woman.

Zoro’s Childhood Friend May Have Returned Stronger Than Ever

Kuina Could Be Hiding Behind the Bandages

In chapter #1334 of the One Piece manga, an unnamed woman arrives on the island of Elbaph with Shanks’ twin looking for Loki. Seeing as her face was almost completely covered, with only her left eye visible, there was no way for fans to know who was hiding behind the cloak. The next entry does not help the reader solve this mystery at all, as all she does during the chapter is attack a pair of Giants to obtain information about Loki’s whereabouts.

Despite this, fans are sure that her identity will shock audiences, as Oda is already presenting her as a vital part of the Elbaph arc. Motivated by the enigma, an X user by the name of @BlacktyonteXavi came up with the hypothesis that the mysterious woman could be Kuina, Zoro’s late childhood friend. This theory might sound farfetched at first, but many pieces of evidence point to this being the answer. The most important one comes from the name of the character, which is closely related to sewing in its native Hawaiian.

This could explain the bandages she uses, either to hide her face or as a necessity for the injury she received after falling down the stairs as a child - a cause of death that One Piece fans always considered really odd and silly. Zoro himself has often been seen covered in bandages, usually after a particularly difficult fight. Another important detail comes from Wano's Shimotsuki Family illustration included in chapter #1094. In this image, Zoro’s swords emit black lightning (caused by his Conqueror's Haki) that hovers over Kuina, like the one used by the mysterious woman to teleport to Elbaph. Moreover, a red-haired man looks at the family from above, possibly referring to Shanks’ twin.

Kuina Could Have Been Cloned by the World Government

@BlacktyonteXavi explains Kuina’s return by giving two possibilities. The first one claims that she was cloned by the World Government to train her doppelgänger as a deadly swordsman who would kill anyone who opposed them. He justifies this hypothesis with the first encounter between Zoro and Tashigi during the Logue Town arc, as the former believed the woman to be her late friend for a moment. This would not be the first time the Five Elders delved into cloning, as seen with the Seraphims.

According to the author of the theory, Kuina could have also been reincarnated into a new body to pursue her dream of becoming one of the best swordfighters in the world. Even though her father discouraged her several times as a child, Zoro motivated his friend to maintain her efforts, confident that she would one day accomplish her dream. Kuina’s spirit, determined to complete her dream even after death, could have been reborn, unfortunately in the body of one of God's Knights.

The Possibility of Kuina Returning Is Outstandingly Low

The Theory Does Not Account for the Physical Features of the Mysterious Woman

Although interesting, the theory about Kuina being Elbaph’s mysterious woman has an extremely low chance of becoming a reality. The death of Zoro’s friend plays a vital role in his underwhelming backstory, being the main motivator behind his dream of becoming the best swordsman. Bringing her back would cheapen the effect her death had on Zoro and would only cause more issues for Luffy’s right-hand man. Oda has also not given any concrete evidence of Kuina returning to the story, proven by her character being hardly ever mentioned in the series.

Another huge argument against this theory can be seen through the physical characteristics of the mysterious woman. Unlike Kuina, who had black hair and eyes, the unnamed God's Knight seems to have a much lighter tone. While her official hair and eye color are yet to be revealed, the manga makes it clear that her attributes do not coincide with Kuina’s. This immediately eliminates the possibility of a clone, as these experiments have always looked identical to the character used as their base. There also has not been any evidence of humans reincarnating in One Piece, eliminating the second theory.

Kuina being the identity of the mysterious woman does make for an interesting theory, but it will likely not occur. Nonetheless, fans can rejoice in knowing that the character will not remain an enigma for long, as the author has already hinted at some breathtaking events occurring soon. By the time One Piece's Elbaph arc comes to an end, the mystery behind the bandaged woman will likely be a thing of the past.