Since the conclusion of the "Dressrosa" arc in One Piece, every arc's main villain has had an awakened Devil Fruit. Devil Fruit awakenings have been one of the hottest topics among fans. The idea of "weak" fruits becoming empowered or a "strong" fruit surpassing its known strength has always seemed like an interesting concept within the universe of One Piece. Many fans still discuss the monumental moment when Luffy's Devil Fruit underwent its awakening. However, the "Wano" arc has yet to unveil an awakening of its own -- or so fans think. As strong as Kaido has been portrayed, he has yet to show any obvious signs of his Devil Fruit awakening.
The story thus far has put a much stronger emphasis on Haki. Luffy's training has consisted of learning a stronger form of Armament Haki. During their fight, Luffy gained an upper hand against Kaido when he learned how to use Advanced Conqueror's Haki. With Kaido himself claiming that Haki is more important than Devil Fruit powers, it's easy to believe he's never actually tried to awaken his Devil Fruit, instead focusing on honing his Haki and strength. Thanks to Luffy's awakening, though, another alternative is now very possible.
What Are Mythical Zoans in One Piece?
Zoan-type Devil Fruit are one of the most common in the world of One Piece. While the Logias-type give their users control over a specific element and the Paramecias-type power that can range from creating tremors to splitting your body into multiple floating parts, Zoan-type grant the power of animals to those who eat them. These animals can be predators like leopards or herbivores like bison, as well as a boost in the user's physical ability.
While it seems more straightforward and not as exciting as a Logia-type's power, many characters have proven the worth of Zoan-type, most notably Rob Lucci. Unlike the other two types of Devil Fruits, Zoan-type come in multiple variations. While the standard Zoan-type Devil Fruit grant their user the abilities of an existing animal, there are also elusive Ancient Zoan-type Devil Fruit. Not only are they much rarer, they grant those who eat them the powers of beasts that have gone extinct, such as dinosaurs and mammoths.
This power has been introduced in X Drake and Kaido's top officers, Tobi Roppo and All Stars. This variation is much stronger than the standard Zoan-type Devil Fruit and can make anyone a veritable threat. The rarest Zoan-type Devil Fruit introduced thus far are the Mythical Zoan. Unlike the previous variations, this type grants power based off of mythical creatures.
While users gain the standard physical strength and transformation powers granted from eating the standard Zoan, they also receive mystical abilities granted by the mythological being. For example -- Marco the Phoenix. As his name suggests, Marco can transform into the legendary bird and as a bonus, has an incredible healing factor, and the ability to control the special flames of the Phoenix. Mythical Zoan grant users powers that surpass what a Zoan is supposed to be able to do making those who eat them incredibly powerful.
Awakening a Mythical Zoan
Devil Fruit awakenings, as incredible as they are, are still very mysterious in nature. It has yet to be confirmed what causes an awakening to occur, or the after-effects of the transformation. All that's known is that the user becomes more powerful. This appears to be the case with Zoan awakenings as well, which can be seen in the Impel Down jailers. This group has seemingly attained a larger, bestial version of their hybrid form, making them much stronger than they were originally.
While it wouldn't have been wrong to assume this would the same for Mythical Zoan, recently, One Piece may have debunked this theory with Luffy's awakening when it was revealed that Luffy's Devil Fruit was never the Paramecia Gomu Gomu no Mi, but rather the Mythical Zoan Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika. Strangely though, this only became apparent after Luffy's Devil Fruit awakened.
Rather than become a giant version of himself, Luffy instead gained access to all the powers Sun God Nika has been said to possess, with his rubber-like abilities becoming stronger and much more cartoon-like. This allowed Luffy to have complete control over how his body stretched, allowed him to apply cartoon physics and rubber properties to his surroundings, and those around him. While these abilities are exclusive to Luffy's Devil Fruit, this style of awakening could potentially apply to all Mythical Zoan users, including Kaido.
Kaido's Awakening One Piece
Looking at Kaido's Devil Fruit, specifically the myth it is based on, it's quite possible that it awakened long ago. Kaido's Devil Fruit is known as the Uo Uo no Mi Model: Seiryu, and is based on a mystical fish that transformed into a dragon. The legend states that there was once a river home to many common carp. If a carp managed to leap over the peak of the waterfall, known as The Dragon Gate, they would become a powerful dragon.
If this legend is anything to go by, then it is possible that Kaido's dragon forms are actually his awakened abilities. Luffy's awakening proves that Mythical Zoan work differently to the other variations of Zoan-type Devil Fruit. While it's unclear what exactly triggered his awakening, it's undeniable that it's made him more powerful than ever before.
Given that Kaido's Devil Fruit acknowledges the humble origins of the legendary Azure Dragon as a carp, it's possible that Kaido's original Devil Fruit powers were actually based on that of a simple fish. This means that much like Luffy -- with time, training, and effort Kaido managed to become the mighty dragon he currently is today. While there is no way to know for sure yet, recent chapters of One Piece have proven that anything is possible.