Dolflamingo made a strong instant impression upon One Piece fans, not just as one of the seven warlords of the sea but as a fighter with devastating devil fruit power. Possessing the String String Fruit, his ability might initially seem at odds with his penchant for bright colored fashion and love of making an entrance, but the fruit's versatile nature means his ability to inflict damage is limited only by his creativity. Let’s take a look at five of the most bizarre features of his powers.
The String String Fruit Can Connect To Clouds
It’s unsurprising that tethering threads to various objects within his surroundings would become such a staple in Dolflamingo’s fighting strategies, but when it comes to what he can connect to, not even the sky is the limit. The String String ability proves capable of connecting to virtually any surface that has form, even non-solid ones such as clouds. This proves to be a significant advantage, as it opens the ability to travel and do battle in midair so long as the sky provides enough cloud cover.
It also allows for an easy method of fleeing should a situation grow to become too overwhelming, though it comes with a significant drawback. Relying too much upon connecting to clouds in his methods for fighting and fleeing means that he is wholly dependent upon the weather of the day, and leaves him grounded and vulnerable should the day be cloudless. The fickle nature of this ability threatens to make him too reliant upon his environment, and limits him as a fighter, particularly when going up against an opponent who is more well-rounded.
The String String Fruit Can Generate Threads From Anywhere On A User’s Body
The String String’s abilities allow its user to freely generate a near-endless supply of string from their body, consequently meaning that it can be channeled from any particular part. Though Dolflamingo tends to generate string from either the palm of his hand or the tips of his fingers to maximize dexterity, he’s fully capable of using his ability’s full-body access to his advantage.
Threads can be produced from his internal organs and other innards, allowing him to perform emergency surgery upon himself by suturing up wounds should they grow to be too severe. Despite how sharp the threads have proven to be, they don’t seem to injure him through production, allowing him to use his full body to create more than his typical puppeteering attacks. With its assistance, he’s capable of creating compressed strings, whips and even clones of himself to confuse opponents while in combat.
The String String Fruit Can Survive A Meteor Strike
Part of what makes Dolflamingo’s strings so dangerous is their impressive durability. Combined with an equally generous helping of strength, few people or objects are capable of severing the attacking threads. This proves to be a devastating combination when the threads’ razor-sharp edges and near-inexhaustible supplies are taken into account. This is only emphasized when the threads are imbued with the Busoshiku Haki, which not only bolsters their strength and durability but allows them to bypass other Devil Fruit user’s defenses, such as Smoker’s intangibility.
When confronted with multiple strikes from Marine Admiral Issho’s meteors, the threads failed to show any signs of damage, not even sustaining a trace of burns. Rather than rip apart the threads, the meteors themselves were carved to pieces instead, as a consequence of coming into contact with their sharp edges. Luffy’s gear fourth has proven capable of severing or dispersing attacking threads, which seem to be similarly weak and incapable of cutting through Seastone. This is likely due to Seastone’s nullifying abilities in response to Devil Fruit powers, which has established itself as a virtually indestructible substance in the world of One Piece. Though methods of counterattack exist, they are relatively few and far between when encountering Dolflamingo’s dangerously durable strings.
The String String Fruit’s Strings Are Near Invisible
Yet another dangerous quality of the String String fruit lies in their capacity for stealth. Not only does their appearance belie impressive strength and durability, but the threads’ existence can also be difficult to discern in the first place. Dolflamingo is capable of creating threads so slender that they become difficult to see, making it frighteningly easy for him to wrap his threads around his victim’s spines and control them like a puppeteer. Should his chosen prey be unaware of Dolflamingo’s existence and the terrifying power he possesses, they can be forced to suffer the consequences of their actions without knowing why their bodies are seemingly moving on their own.
Even when fighting against opponents aware of his abilities, their slenderness makes for a challenge when evading on the battlefield, which often contains its fair share of distractions from the focus needed to avoid the strings’ paths. The threads are drawn more obviously for the benefit of the viewers, but characters within the story have no such advantages and must constantly be on their guard when Dolflamingo is near.
The String String’s Threads Are Created And Maintained By Force Of Will
Though the potential for threads to be generated is made possible by the effects of the String String Fruit upon its user’s body, their creation and continued existence is reliant upon the user’s willpower. This is initially just used to create threads from Dolflamingo’s body but provided the Devil Fruit’s powers have been awoken, even that can be surpassed. The awoken String String Fruit enables its user to transmute objects and surroundings into string, which can then be repurposed to its user’s will.
This potentially evolves the Fruit past its classification of the common Paramecia, as it alters the environment rather than limit its alterations to just its user’s body. Should the String String user fall unconscious, the strings generated seemingly vaporize as there no longer exists sufficient willpower to maintain their existence in the world.
