One Piece: Oda could be setting up a Doctor Who twist for Bonney with chapter 1118

The release date for One Piece chapter 1118 is confirmed to be June 24, 2024. The revelation of Bonney’s transformation into Nika may be a nod to a popular British sci-fi TV series featuring a shapeshifting species.

The pursuit of the Five Elders persisted throughout the chapter, with a new focus on capturing the surviving members and the Giants who were fleeing Egghead Island after Vegapunk’s message was eliminated.

This unexpected transformation of the female pirate shocked the fandom, and some speculate that her Nika form may be a nod to the British TV series Doctor Who. Interestingly, in one episode of the show, the concept of liberation through drums is hinted at, and one of the characters shares the same name as the female pirate.

Please note: The following article includes possible spoilers from the One Piece manga series and reflects the author’s personal opinions.

Exploring the relationship between Bonney and Doctor Who in One Piece

The Iron Giant as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

From what has been revealed about One Piece chapter 1118, the Iron Giant was seen sinking into the depths of the ocean, prompting the Gorosei to focus their attention on the remaining Vegapunks, Lilith and Atlas. Meanwhile, Luffy and Bonney made their way onto the giants’ ship and were being pursued by the Five Elders.

The female pirate expertly replicated the Nika transformation, utilizing Distorted Future, and united with Luffy, who had also activated Gear 5. Her devil fruit, the Age-Age Paramecia, granted her the power to control her and others’ ages, as well as the ability to embody her favorite heroes through transformation.

Distorted Future: A Future Like Nika (Image via Shueisha)

In chapter 1101, the female pirate became agitated with Alpha, a Cipher Pol agent, and resorted to using Distorted Future, a power similar to Nika’s ability to see the future. During this transformation, her body partially took on Nika’s form, as she lacked a strong belief in a future alongside Nika. However, in chapter 1118, as she stood by Nika (Luffy), she had full conviction in a future guided by the Sun God.

Therefore, it is possible that Oda is granting the female pirate the power to shapeshift with a devil fruit, but there may be further significance to this mention. The ability to change form could potentially be a nod to the popular television show, Doctor Who.

The Time Lords as seen in the TV series (Image via BBC Studios Entertainment & Bad Wolf)

The plot of the television series centers around a time traveler known as ‘the Doctor’ who flees from his home planet, the dwelling place of the Time Lords. These beings possess the power to control time, much like the skills of the female pirate.

The 12th episode of the third season of this TV series was named The Sound of Drums, reminiscent of Nika’s Drums of Liberation. This installment featured the Time War between the Time Lords and a race of cyborgs known as the Daleks. This connection could potentially link the female pirate to the recently awakened Iron Giant who also responded to the drums of liberation during her transformation.

Bonnie as seen in the TV series (Image via BBC Studios Production and Bad Wolf)

The leader of the race Zygon, Bonnie, serves as the most prominent clue to the female pirate’s shapeshifting capabilities. Interestingly, this character is also named Bonnie, just like the female pirate. In the world of One Piece, Zygons are known as a humanoid species with the ability to take on any form they observe, a skill that the female pirate demonstrated in the most recent chapter.

In the latest chapter, the transformation of the female pirate into Nika could possibly be a nod to the main antagonist of Doctor Stone. Additionally, it is worth noting that the Zygon species is limited to mimicking physical appearances and cannot replicate abilities.

Therefore, the transformation of the female pirate into Nika only granted her the ability to possess Nika’s physical properties, such as a stretchy body, but not his Zoan-awakened abilities to turn objects into rubber. As her previous transformation had suggested, she was only able to maintain the Nika form for a limited duration.