Dr. Vegapunk’s message confirms the powers of the Five Elders.

SUMMARY

According to Dr. Vegapunk’s message that has been transmitted over the last few chapters, the One Piece world is doomed.

While the statement has caused anguish within One Piece world, it has also solved one of the most perplexing riddles of Eiichiro Oda’s magnum opus.
This mystery is regarding the dangerous powers of the Five Elders.

The One Piece world is destined for doom, as revealed by Dr. Vegapunk in the message that he has been broadcasting for the last few chapters. According to the scientist, the One Piece world is most likely going to sink into the sea by the World Government and destroy almost every habitable island, killing everyone that is residing on these islands.
Dr. Vegapunk’s Message in One Piece | Viz Media
While the message has induced horror among the people of One Piece, it has also cleared one of the biggest mysteries of Eiichiro Oda’s magnum opus that has been bugging One Piece fans for a long time. The mystery is the horrifying powers of the Five Elders, also known as the Gorosei. Many believed that their abilities were the result of the Devil Fruits, while others thought that they were the power of the Devil.

However, if the world is going to sink, there is no chance that the strongest authority in the World Government after Imu would risk their lives by eating a Devil Fruit, as it would also make them sink with the rest of the Devil Fruit users.

The Mysterious Powers of the Five Elders

Since the introduction of the St. Jaygarcia Saturn in the Egghead Island arc, One Piece fans have been confused about the origin of the mysterious powers of the Five Elders. While they showed some signs of being Devil Fruit users, some of their abilities made fans question the origin of their heinous forms and powers.

Although the Five Elders have unique abilities that represent their Yokai forms, they also have some powers that are common between them. These abilities were first seen during the Egghead Island arc, and they included teleportation, regeneration, telepathy among the Five Elders, and killing someone by just looking at them.
Saturn Summoning The Rest of the Five Elders | Viz Media
There were many theories developed by One Piece fans that would prove the origin of these unknown powers, but none of them were accurate enough. Some fans even thought that these powers were bestowed upon the Five Elders by Imu himself, who is supposedly the actual devil in One Piece.

Dr. Vegapunk Clears the Confusion About the Five Elders’ Powers

While it has not been officially declared, Eiichiro Oda has cleared up the mystery behind the abilities of the Five Elders. Although their origin is still unknown, it can be confirmed that these powers are not the result of Devil Fruits. This was revealed by Dr. Vegapunk’s message about the world sinking into the sea.
The Gorosei in One Piece | Viz Media
If the World Government is behind the sinking of the One Piece world, there is no way that the Five Elders would eat a Devil Fruit, as the powers of the Devil Fruit are automatically rejected by the Mother Sea. This is why Devil Fruit users are weakened if submerged in the sea. Thus, it would not make any sense for the Five Elders to be Devil Fruit users.

Also, the fact that none of the Celestial Dragons dwelling in Mary Geoise, the Holy Land, have ever eaten a Devil Fruit and used it as a tool for punishment demonstrates that the highest authority in the One Piece universe would never rely on Devil Fruits because they were already aware of the earth’s sinking.