One Piece's never-ending mysteries always leave behind little clues for fans to speculate the most likely outcome. Zunesha is yet another mystery in the series who seems to have some connection with Joy Boy, an important figure known to live during the Void Century. In the "Zou" arc, Zunesha is helpless against Jack's relentless pursuit and begs someone to order it to fight. The Beast Pirates attempt to extinguish the Mink tribe and the 1,000-year-old civilization by destroying Zunesha. Jack not only destroys the entire country but comes back to kill Zunesha and make the Mink tribe disappear without a trace.
What's even more troubling is that despite being gigantic, Zunesha makes no move against the attackers. It explains that it was punished by someone for a horrible crime and has been unable to do anything except walk for centuries. No one is able to hear its voice except Luffy and Momonosuke, the same powers as the Pirate King Roger and Kozuki Oden. Upon receiving permission from Momonosuke, Zunesha counterattacks and is able to defeat Jack once and for all. This entire ordeal and the events that take place after that hint that Zunesha's punishment and the Kozuki Clan must have some connection.
What Do Fans Know About Zunesha So Far?
Zunesha is a Naitamie-Norida elephant, a species of gigantic elephant whose legs stretch down to the ocean floor, which is why Zunesha can walk in the middle of the ocean. So far, Zunesha is the only animal shown in the series from this particular species. Apart from disproportionately long legs, they have two knee joints. Zunesha has exceptional eyesight, allowing it to see faraway objects and places with utmost clarity. Contrary to the unique ability of his eyes, Zunesha's eyes are relatively small, with turquoise-ringed irises. The elephant's sunken sockets make the irises somewhat difficult to notice, but the resemblance in its eyes with that of Mihawk and Imu is very clear.
Furthermore, because of its old age, Zunesha's skin is very wrinkled and has grown fragile over time, allowing Jack to inflict damage on his legs with cannons. It is uncertain whether this species is immortal or not, but one thing is for sure -- these elephants have a lifespan of well over 1,000 years. Zunesha has been carrying the Mink Tribe on its back for over that long. So far, it is the oldest living creature introduced in the series, with its lifetime predating even the Void Century.
Zunesha is over 35 kilometers tall, making it the largest character ever introduced in the series. For an unknown crime it committed in the past, Zunesha has been wandering the sea, unable to do anything except walk unless explicitly permitted to do otherwise. In the "Zou" arc, after gaining permission to fight from Momonosuke, Zunesha easily annihilates Jack's fleet simply by swinging its enormous trunk. Dr. Miyagi from the Mink Tribe expresses his desire to ask Zunesha about where it's heading, speculating that the latter has been walking all these centuries with a destination in mind.
Furthermore, it can communicate telepathically with those having the "Voice of All Things." The range of the telepathy is unknown, but it's certainly wide considering how Zunesha is able to communicate with Momonosuke in the "Wano Country" arc. Momonosuke once claims that Zunesha was Joy Boy's comrade during the Void Century. Zunesha remembers Joy Boy even to this day and expresses its nostalgic feelings once Luffy's Devil Fruit is awakened.
Why Does This Theory Seem Plausible?
During Jack's attack, both Luffy and Momonosuke are able to hear Zunesha's voice for the first time. Zunesha requesting someone to grant permission to fight hints that it doesn't matter who gives permission, so long as it gets it. However, only Momonosuke orders Zunesha to fight back, while Luffy is still trying to make sense of everything. Furthermore, Zunesha comes to Wano to aid the Kozuki clan but encounters a large fleet of Marine battleships. Zunesha then communicates with Momonosuke through the Voice of All Things, seeking permission to fight for his cause and open the borders of Wano.
Upon Luffy's Devil Fruit Awakening, Zunesha declares Joy Boy's return and affirms the former's destiny as a "Warrior of Liberation." After Kaido's defeat, Zunesha and Momonosuke again converse about Wano, with the young shogun speculating that it's not the right time to open Wano's borders. Zunesha accepts Momonosuke's decision and leaves Wano, vanishing within the mist. Individually, all these scenarios may seem like mere coincidences; however, Oda has a reputation for never showing anything redundant. The fact that Zunesha is able to go this far for the sake of the Kozuki clan suggests that the two have a past connection.
Moreover, despite being punished for eternity, Zunesha shows no signs of resentment toward the one who sentenced it; rather, it blames itself for its crimes. Luffy and Momonosuke are the only two present characters that have heard Zunesha's voice. However, the fact that only Momonosuke and Zunesha have such a bond is surprising, considering Luffy has almost no interaction with the elephant despite being capable of communicating with it. The fact that Luffy doesn't order Zunesha to fight suggests that there is more to it than meets the eye. Despite the fact that Zunesha sees Joy Boy in Luffy and has the utmost faith in the latter, the two have yet to interact one-on-one in the series. Therefore, considering the past connections, Zunesha is highly likely to serve its sentence under orders from someone in the Kozuki Clan -- more specifically, the head of the clan.
However, the fact that Zunesha has been walking toward somewhere is yet another mystery since its destination is unknown. The Kozuki Clan is shrouded in mystery and is known to play a major role in the Void Century. It's also possible that it was the Kozuki Clan from over 800 years ago that speculated a major event would happen in the faraway future, thereby leaving behind Poneglyphs as clues to find out about the past. Toki is also so intrigued by the faraway future that she travels across time to witness that so-called major event. Therefore, if the Kozuki Clan is really behind Zunesha's punishment, it is all the more likely that set a destination and a future role for the gigantic elephant.