Caliburn
𝕷𝔢𝖔 𝕭𝔢𝖑𝔤𝖎𝔠𝖚𝔰
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2009
- Messages
- 20,944
- Reaction score
- 4,197
You must be registered for see images
I decided to make this thread to get an overview of and discuss everything that is known about and related to the Man Marked By Flames (Hinokizu), what the facts & fables are, which theories are making the rounds, and who the most likely candidate is.
❮CONTEXT❯
The MMBF is an enigmatic, mysterious figure in the One Pieceverse that has been presented as a crucial figure in reaching Laugh Tale and finding the One Piece, and thus also finding out the truth about the Void Century and the world as it is known. As of to date, the character has made no appearance yet, not even as a silhouette, and has only been scarcely referenced. This has made it one of the hottest debated topics in the OP community.
❮REFERENCES❯
- Volume 105 - Chapter 1056 - Page 16
The Strawhat, Heart & Kidd Pirates are about to leave Wano, and their captains are bickering amongst each other who gets to go into which direction. When they settled their argument, Law gave Kidd a rubbing of the Wano Road Poneglyph as he was the only one who didn't had it yet and Law considered it to be unsportsmanlike to keep it from him. Killer then remarked they should become serious about "that guy" if they want to stay ahead. In response, Kidd identifies "that guy" as the MMBF, but mentions they have no leads. This was the first time the MMBF got referenced.
- Volume 107 - Chapter 1081 - Page 11
In a flash-back we see how Aokiji met Blackbeard in a bar one year into the time-skip. After the initial hostile tension between the two, they seem to get along famously drinking together. Eventually, Devon brings up the MMBF during a conversation about injuries and scars and asks whether Aokiji knows something about it. The BB pirates then start giving their own ideas on the matter including several additional characteristics that had not been mentioned previously. This was the second and so far last reference to the MMBF.
❮NOTABLE CHARACTERISTICS❯
- Burn scar(s)
Supposedly, the man's most distinctive feature from which his name is derived, is a notable burn scar somewhere.
- Black Ship
Supposedly, he roams the oceans on an all-black ship.
- Whirlpools
Supposedly, he is able to create powerful ocean whirlpools and vortexes which swallow up any ship that dares to come too close.
- Road Poneglyph
Supposedly, he is in the possession of a Road Poneglyph, which is what makes him so important as without the last RP, it is impossible to reach Laugh Tale. The RP in question is almost certainly the one that was originally on FI. The fact that the entire thing was taken, is also noteworthy. It was explained on Zou that it's rather inconvenient to drag them around with you, and that taking rubbings is far more efficient. The only person known so far that actually has moved a RP, is BM, but yeah she's a high-profile pirate that rules her own country. For most other pirates, using this approach would be inane.
- Time Frame
We know that the RP was still on FI 24 years ago when Roger visited during his final voyage. We also know from the conversation between the BB Pirates and Aokiji that the rumours predate the time skip as Aokiji received his scars shortly after the Summit War and the BB Pirates said that this was too recent. If you then take into account that FI was under the protection of WB during the majority of this time period, while BB was a member of his crew, the most logical moment the MMBF took the RP, is in the period between Roger's last visit and WB making FI his territory, which happened in the wake of his execution that triggered the Great Age of Piracy.
❮GENERAL REMARKS❯
- It is important to realize that everything we know about the MMBF, is based on in-universe speculations and rumours intentionally meant to be vague and thus very open for interpretation. Yet, a lot of people take them as proven unambiguous facts.
- Most translations of Hinokizu underline it's about a physical burn scar, but the possibility it's another type of disfigurement, tattoo or something else, can't be ruled out. It's inherently contradictory that somehow people know he is severely scarred, but no one can recognize nor even get close to him. Though, his might just be a practical issue Oda decided to ignore for the sake of storytelling.
- The MMBF might be not aware himself he is being referenced as such.
- Considering the only two known sources seem to have derived their own info from rumours, it can't be ruled out that the MMBF isn't a singular person, but multiple that got combined into one entity.
- Bluejam - Credibility Rating:
I once ended up in a long and tiresome argument on Reddit with someone who was adamant that the MMBF must be Bluejam. It stands to reason that the the entire theory was utterly void of any kind of proof or solid reasoning, but it was centered around the idea that it was never specified Bluejam died. And considering he disappeared in an inferno, there was a reasonable chance he suffered burn injuries, or so the reasoning went.
Now, that in itself wasn't that far-fetched of an idea. The issue was that there were no indications whatsoever that this was the case. And even if there were, proving that Bluejam is still alive is a completely different matter than proving he is the MMBF. Yet, despite the fact multiple people tried to point that out, the guy couldn't comprehend it.
Basically, a forgettable and minor antagonist from a flash-back that might or might not be alive, that might or might not have a burn scar, and who has no connection geographically, thematically or chronologically to the current events, isn't a very credible possibility.
- Rocks D. Xebec - Credibility Rating:
Since the 'Loki' flashback, I've seen several people claiming Rocks must be the MMBF, but this makes very little sense.
Xebec died during the God Valley incident; there are no indications whatsoever he survived. And even if you assume he somehow survived, what then exactly? If he was able to escape, he clearly never saw his son again as BB has no idea who the MMBF is. This would be incredibly odd considering the lengths Rocks went to to protect them. Unless he still would be under the control of Imu, only what has Imu been using Rocks for then exactly? The rumours started around 24 years ago, so nearly one decade and a half after the GVI. Why would Imu suddenly use Rocks to run around with a RP while he could have done that years prior, making it impossible for Roger to reach Laugh Tale.
The only reason why I'm giving this a 2-star rating instead of 1, is because we do not know the nature nor limits of Imu's abilities as of writing.
- Figarland Shamrock - Credibility Rating:
I've seen multiple times people suggesting Shamrock as a contender, so it seems a rather popular theory. However, there are a slew of issues wrong with it, not in the least that he lacks all the elements that are associated with the MMBF.
This theory seems to largely fall back on the remark Whitebeard made when talking to Shanks about his scar aching whenever he sees the latter's face. People see in this, or would like to see in this, Oda foreshadowing Shamrock's existence decades before he was introduced. This makes no sense, however.
The RP was still on Fishman Island 24 years, which means the rumours about the MMBF could only have started afterwards, and at this point in time BB was already a part of WB's crew, who controlled IF the majority of this period. It has also been implied that BB scarred Shanks somewhere during this same period. So, if Shamrock really injured WB and ran off with the RP, how is it that BB has no knowledge about this whatsoever?
This theory doesn't make much sense to begin with, but the fact that it has a plethora of things that go against it, makes this a very unlikely possibility.
- Scopper Gaban - Credibility Rating:
In itself, there isn't much that points towards Scopper being the MMBF, but the reason why he still receives a rather high credibility rating, is because that he does check off a few boxes and, more importantly, his narrative timing is impeccable.
Scopper has a noticeable scar on the side of his face, something he doesn't seem to have yet in the current flash back. He also knew exactly where the RP was and, according to Shanks, he acted rather promiscuous in the ports around the world. If you then take into account he clearly had a boon for females of other races, that he had a fling with someone on FI, isn't that far-fetched of a scenario.
We also know he has been, for the majority of the time since Roger's death, on Elbaf, an island not affiliated with the WG and very difficult to visit. However, we also know he has left on occasion, indicated by the fact that he visited Crocus at Reverse Mountain, half a world away, post time skip (as shown in a Decks of the World cover story) and went beck again to Elbaf before the Strawhats would arrive. All of this without being noticed or recognized, which is no small feat considering his infamy. This fits the profile of the MMBF quite well.
Lastly, narratively it simply fits. The MMBF was only recently introduced following the in-universe flow of time. That someone like Scopper, a character that has been anticipated for decades, then suddenly appears at this specific time, is striking.
- Jaguar D Saul - Credibility Rating:
Saul is, without a doubt, currently the most likely candidate for being the MMBF.
For starters, he is actually covered in burn scars from the Buster Call that decimated Ohara.
Secondly, he is strongly involved in Robin's character arc that's centered around the Poneglyph and the Void Century.
Thirdly, he has been in hiding for the last 24 years on Elbaf, which explains, just like with Scopper, how no one could find him.
Fourthly, we know that the Ohara Incident happened in the same year as Roger's execution, but preceded it. We also know that Saul no less than three times passed through FI during this time period. First, from Ohara to Elbaf to recover from his wounds and then a second and third time from Elbaf to Ohara and back again. For what? To retrieve the research of the Ohara scholars about the Void Century.
With other words, Saul passed by the FI RP three times in the exact same time frame it went missing, while being covered in bandages and burns, to retrieve Poneglyph-related documents.
Fifthly, just like with Scopper, narratively this fits extraordinarily well. Saul had been considered to have died at Ohara. It has only been revealed during the Egghead arc he was still alive...right after the MMBF was introduced.
Sixthly, Elbaf has always been a prime contender for hiding a RP. Exculding the one from BM, whose origins are unclear, all the RP seem to have been stored in inaccessible locations (FI, Zou, Wano) and guarded by extremely strong armies (Fishmen, Minks, Samurai). Elbaf fits that pattern perfectly.
Though, there are three elements that work against this theory. One is that it might be a bit too on the nose. Two is that if he really is the MMBF, why hasn't he shown the RP yet? This can be explained by that Saul simply hadn't come around to it yet as after all Elbaf has been a rollercoaster. Three, then what's the deal with the black ship & whirlpools?
Regarding the latter, and this is pure speculation, but there is a way to explain this conundrum. So far, only one black ship has featured in the series: Dragon's ship. And who did Saul met on Ohara when he returned? Dragon. That same Dragon of whom it has been theorized for a long time he might have some weather altering abilities. What if he decided to escort Saul back to Elbaf and made sure no one came close to them?
As said, this is pure speculation. We don't know if Dragon has abilities nor if he even had this ship already at this point. But it does remain an interesting train of thought as it would mean the MMBF from the rumours doesn't really exist as that one was born from several elements that came together once at a specific point in time and never again afterwards.
Last edited:
