In chapter 1085 of One Piece, fans finally learned the truth of what Sabo witnessed in Mary Geoise, while attending the Levely in a bid to save Bartholomew Kuma who was being held captive by the World Government. Sabo narrated the events of the meeting between Nefertari Cobra, king of Arabasta, and the Gorosei in front of the Empty Throne. The most shocking development during this discussion, was the entrance of Imu, who entered the throne room and addressed Cobra directly, giving answers to some of the king's questions. This was the first time Imu had appeared before an outsider, as no one apart from the Gorosei was aware of their existence. In fact, Imu's role as the ruler of the world has been hushed in secrecy throughout the duration of One Piece, until this recent chapter.
Additionally, apart from the matter regarding the history of Nefertari Lily and her connection with Imu, the Will of the D., and the Ancient Kingdom, One Piece chapter 1085 also shed light on the powers of Imu and the Gorosei. While few details were given about the actual abilities they have access to, it is fairly certain both the Five Elders, and the mysterious sovereign who sits at the pinnacle of the World Government, are potential Devil Fruit users. For the most part, there were only silhouettes, and vague outlines of the transformations they underwent and the techniques they used, hinting that the series' author, Eiichiro Oda, plans on saving these revelations for a later point in the story. That being said, it might not be too early to speculate on the types of Devil Fruits that the Gorosei possess. Given that Mythical Zoan fruits are some of the most powerful ones shown in the series so far, as well as the fact that the elders were shown transforming into beast-like entities, it would not be a stretch for them to possess this kind of Devil Fruit.
Who Are The Gorosei?
Depicted as a council of the highest ranking Celestial Dragons, the Gorosei are one of the most powerful authorities in the World Government. Second only to the mysterious Imu in their power, the five members of this council hold an incredible degree of control over the activities of the World Government, the Marines, and Cipher Pol, being able to command any of these three organizations to take virtually any action that they desire. In effect, they are the de facto rulers of the world, answering to Imu directly, with almost unquestionable authority over all their subjects.
On the other hand, the Gorosei have been shown to be much more measured in their dealings with those who are not Celestial Dragons, even expressing remorse for the more cruel actions they have taken in the story, such as the Buster Call on Ohara. They are also far more tolerant when dealing with more belligerent outsiders such as Sakazuki or Shanks, chiding them rather than immediately threatening them with death for their insolent behavior.
Hence, it might not be appropriate to equate them to the World Nobles in every respect. The Gorosei do not wear the same white suits or the bubbles that the Celestial Dragons do, even when traveling beyond the Holy Land of Mary Geoise. Alternatively, they do take great pride in their heritage, being direct descendants of the 20 noble families who formed the World Government 800 years ago at the end of the Void Century.
What Powers Do They Possess?
Possessing authority that far exceeds that of the sovereigns of the One Piece world, even above that of the Celestial Dragons, the Gorosei are above the highest echelons of the World Government's authority and can command the government's forces to take any action on a whim. In spite of this, they are quite dedicated to maintaining the delicate balance of power in the world, and never take any rash actions like the Celestial Dragons. They also do not seem to age as much as most others in the One Piece world, as their appearances have barely changed since the Tragedy of Ohara, which tookplace over two decades prior to the start of the story.
All of them have their own agendas and do not always see eye to eye on every issue, hinting at the potential for strife between the members of this camp in the near future. Soon they all will have to contend with the rising wave of dissent mounting against the government, as well as the threat posed by the new generation of pirates led by Luffy, who are gearing up to challenge the established world order. Apart from their political powers and the military might at their disposal, the Gorosei could well have unique abilities of their own, either in the form of Devil Fruits or mastery of advanced Haki.
Some of them carry weapons and even have battle scars on their bodies, indicating that they have been involved in conflicts in the past. Chapter 1085 hinted at this, by showing the silhouettes of the Gorosei, as they transformed into monstrous beings, in a bid to prevent Sabo and Nefertari Cobra from fleeing throne room of Mary Geoise. This drastic measure was taken to prevent them from leaking the secret connection between the Will of the D., Nefertari Lily, the former ruler of Arabasta during the Void Century, and the distribution of Poneglyphs all over the world.
Could The Gorosei Be Mythical Zoan Users?
Keeping all this in mind, there is a strong case to be made for the Gorosei being Zoan-type Devil Fruit users, specifically, the subcategory of Mythical Zoan fruits. Some of the fruits in this class belong to the most powerful combatants in One Piece, such as Kaido's Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu, Marco's Tori Tori no Mi, Model: Phoenix, Sengoku's Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Daibutsu, Yamaoto's Inu Inu no Mi, Model: Okuchi no Makami, and finally the recently revealed Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika, eaten by Monkey D. Luffy.
Considering the immensity of the combined might of all these combatants, there is a strong chance that those who occupy the uppermost echelons of the World Government's power structure may also possess similar fruits, given the sheer power they would have to wield to maintain their authority. The Gorosei also seem to possess a fair degree of knowledge about both Mythical Zoan fruits and the Zoan class as a whole, remarking that these fruits have a mind of their own at the time of Luffy's Awakening of Gear 5 in Wano.
All things considered, the silhouettes shown in chapter 1085 do not bear any real similarity to real world animals, which is further evidence that the Gorosei might be Mythical Zoan users. On the other hand, this might just be Oda's way of hiding the truth until the time is right for the big reveal. While this might not be confirmed until much later in the story, it is certain that the final saga will give fans the clarity they desire on this topic, as the story rushes towards its climactic finale.