Highlights

• The Mochi Mochi no Mi Devil Fruit gives Katakuri the power to create and shape mochi, offering versatile combat applications.
• Katakuri's mastery at using the Devil Fruit in conjunction with Haki makes him a formidable opponent for Luffy in One Piece.
• Katakuri developed specialized techniques like Yanagi Mochi and Zan Giri Mochi, showcasing his skills with the unique Devil Fruit powers.

Charlotte Katakuri was one of Monkey D. Luffy's most important opponents in the post-time skip era of One Piece, representing a hurdle he had to overcome in order to continue his journey through the New World. A huge reason behind this was the unique Devil Fruit that Eiichiro Oda bestowed upon the Sweet Commander of the Big Mom Pirates, known as the Mochi Mochi no Mi.

Described as a Special Paramecia-type, the Mochi Mochi no Mi possesses considerable versatility, as seen in how Katakuri was able to use it to replicate Luffy's own Devil Fruit-based attacks. When used in conjunction with his Advanced Observation Haki, Katakuri was on a completely different level than anyone Luffy had faced till that point in One Piece. On this note, here is a look into what makes this Devil Fruit special, and how it helped Katakuri become one of the Big Mom Pirates' strongest members.

What Are The Mochi Mochi No Mi's Abilities?

The Mochi Mochi no Mi derives its name from a type of Japanese rice cake which exhibits a chewy, glutinous texture, and can be eaten either as a confectionery item or savory food. Additionally, the term "mochimochi" is an onomatopoeia used to describe substances that have a springy or doughy texture, which fits quite well with the theme of this Devil Fruit.

Upon ingesting the Mochi Mochi no Mi, Charlotte Katakuri gained the power to produce mochi, or turn any part of his body into it, which is quite rare among Paramecia-type Devil Fruits in One Piece. Due to the unique texture of mochi, this ability has a multitude of combat applications, which Katakuri has mastered at an advanced level.

Generally, the mochi he produces takes on the form of a viscous, stretchy, and sticky white-colored paste, which he can shape as he pleases. The malleability of mochi permits Katakuri to create constructs of any desired shape, ranging from extra limbs to spiked clubs. When coated with Armament Haki, his constructs become blunt force weapons of immense power.

Beyond this, he can stretch his limbs by turning them into mochi, which bears an uncanny resemblance to Luffy's Gomu Gomu no Mi. Katakuri has also used his Devil Fruit powers for more defensive purposes since the sticky and stretchy texture of the mochi he produces is tough enough to shield against firearms.

A Special Paramecia-Type Devil Fruit

Even among Paramecia-types, the Mochi Mochi no Mi stands out due to how it allows the user to turn their body into the type of substance associated with their Devil Fruit. This essentially grants them some degree of intangibility in the style of a Logia-type Devil Fruit in One Piece, which is one of the main reasons why the Mochi Mochi no Mi is classified as a Special Paramecia.

Consequently, any attacks that are not imbued with Armament Haki will simply pass through the user's body, which will reform just like that of a Logia-type Devil Fruit user. For situations where he had to contend with Haki users, Katakuri had another ace up his sleeve in the form of his Future Vision Observation Haki.

With this, he could accurately predict the point of impact of his opponent's incoming attacks, and morph his body into mochi to let them pass through, before reforming it again. The only issue here is that he needed to remain calm while calling on this ability.

How Did Katakuri Use His Devil Fruit?

As the strongest of the Big Mom Pirates' Three Sweet Commanders, Katakuri's proficiency at using his Devil Fruit in combat was unparalleled when compared to his siblings. He combined the unique abilities of the Mochi Mochi no Mi with his fearsome skill in using all three types of Haki, including a special emphasis on his Future Vision Observation Haki.

Due to how refined his control over his Devil Fruit was, Katakuri could manipulate large volumes of mochi with ease, to create tendril-like weapons, or to stretch his limbs in order to save people in danger. He has also been shown using it to fashion earplugs to help him resist Big Mom's screams.

Besides this, the Mochi Mochi no Mi's similarities to Luffy's Devil Fruit powers allowed Katakuri to emulate many of Luffy's attacks, from his Gomu Gomu no Hawk Gatling, to Gomu Gomu no Elephant Gun. However, the important distinction between the two Devil Fruits lies in how the Mochi Mochi no Mi can turn Katakuri's body into mochi, and he can even produce it externally, which gives it a slight edge over the Gomu Gomu no Mi.

Katakuri developed a number of specialized techniques with his Devil Fruit powers, beginning with Yanagi Mochi (Willow Mochi), which saw him swing his leg upwards and turn it into a branching structure composed of duplicates of the same leg. Mochi Tsuki (Mochi Thrust), on the other hand, involved him twisting his arm while holding his trident, Mogura, to deliver a drill-like stab with incredible force.

Next, Kaku Mochi (Edged Mochi), featured Katakuri coating his arm in Armament Haki, before pummeling it into a square shape to deliver a powerful punch, harnessing the now-compact surface of his fist to deal more damage. Yaki Mochi (Burning Mochi) uses air pressure to inflate Katakuri's Haki-infused fist, which is subsequently propelled forward by an explosion at high speed, catching fire due to friction to deliver an incendiary impact.

Zan Giri Mochi (Buzz Cut Mochi) is the most powerful of Katakuri's normal Devil Fruit-based attacks and is a two-stage maneuever. Here, he turns his entire body into mochi before spinning towards his opponents at dizzying speed, before reverting to normal just before he reaches his target. Katakuri then infuses the momentum generated by spinning to slam his enlarged arm, which is coated in both Armament Haki and spikes. By virtue of its sticky texture, his mochi arm sticks to his opponent's body, and he then goes on to spin them in the air before slamming them down into the ground with earth-shattering force, creating a crater in the process.

Awakened Techniques And Limitations

Another testament to Katakuri's mastery over his Devil Fruit can be observed in the fact that he has access to the Mochi Mochi no Mi's Awakened form, with which he can alter the surrounding environment and turn it into mochi. Some of the techniques he has developed with this include Nagare Mochi (Flowing Mochi), with which he turns the ground into mochi, to capture opponents who are at a distance from him.

Kagami Mochi (Mirror Mochi), sees Katakuri turn nearby walls and ceilings into mochi, causing them to collapse down on his opponent and suffocate them. Amadare Mochi (Rainfall Mochi), has him turn nearby surfaces into tendrils of mochi, which he then towards his opponent all at once, crushing them in a barrage of blunt force attacks.

Muso Donuts (Unstoppable Donuts) is a precursor to two of Katakuri's strongest Awakened techniques, where he creates donuts out of mochi produced from the ground. This allows him to use Chikara Mochi (Power Mochi) which turns the donuts into fists coated in Armament Haki for long-range attacks. Lastly, Mochi Ginkaku (Mochi Anemone), is a more potent version of Chikara Mochi, where Katakuri creates even more donuts and fists for an overwhelming flurry of punches.

Just like other Devil Fruit users, Katakuri is vulnerable to Seastone and seawater. He is also susceptible to Haki-infused attacks if caught off-guard, as his Future Vision usually allows him to dodge them. Since mochi is edible, anyone with a huge appetite can eat away at it if restrained by Katakuri's techniques. The mochi will also lose its adhesive nature if sufficient water is applied to it. Despite all this, it remains one of the most powerful and unique Devil Fruits in One Piece, wielded by a truly fearsome pirate.

One Piece is available to stream on Crunchyroll.