Possessed by only a chosen few, the Voice of All Things is a unique ability that allows individuals to converse with beings in a manner that goes beyond language or any other known form of communication, in Eiichiro Oda's One Piece. Those who have been shown using it are some of the strongest and most prominent characters in the series, such as the likes of Monkey D. Luffy, Kozuki Momonosuke, Kozuki Oden, and the former Pirate King Gol D. Roger. The ability permits these individuals to interact with animals or inanimate objects without any need for speech or written conveyance. In a way, it can be described as the power to hear and speak to the voice in a being's heart, understanding their true thoughts and emotions devoid of any sort of filter.
First mentioned in a flashback to an interaction between Roger and his first mate, Silvers Rayleigh, the ability was later demonstrated by Luffy when speaking to the Sea Kings who salvaged the wreck of the Noah on Fishman Island. It has escaped classification at every turn, being neither a product of Advanced Haki manipulation nor the result of eating a certain Devil Fruit. There is also no clear uniting factor between the characters who have been depicted using it, indicating that there is far more than meets the eye with this ability. However, the only exception to this rule is a single race in the world of One Piece, namely, the Three-Eyed Tribe who possess the power to hear the Voice of All Things innately, but have to awaken the ability in order to make proper use of it.
What Is The Voice Of All Things?
The Voice of All Things has been likened to a form of telepathy by certain characters, although the fashion in which it can be employed is quite restricted. It has also been compared to the power held by Neptune and Shirahoshi — the current incarnation of the Ancient Weapon Poseidon — who both have the ability to speak to the Sea Kings. All of the messages relayed to those who are able to hear the Voice of All Things are inaudible to everyone else in the vicinity, hinting at how there is no verbal exchange of any kind taking place between the two parties. The ability also transcends mediums like water. For all those capable of hearing the Voice of All Things, the ability first manifests as an unintelligible noise that grows louder and louder when an animal that can use the Voice approaches the user. This can be overwhelming at first, as the user will not be able to comprehend or rationalize what they are experiencing.
Additionally, the degree to which each user can use the Voice has been shown to vary quite considerably. Where Roger, Oden, and Momonosuke were able to hear and feel the Voice at all times in the presence of Sea Kings or Zunesha, Luffy's use of the Voice only emerged during the climax of the Fishman Island Arc, even though he had fought and interacted with innumerable Sea Kings on his travels through the Grand Line. Despite this, he was able to make better use of the ability later on in the series, even gaining the power to hear Zunesha when it called out to him for help. Hence, it might be possible to hone one's skill with the Voice over time, although some may display a higher proficiency with it when it first manifests.
Moreover, the Voice of All Things does not lend itself to any object or animal in the world of One Piece. Till date, only animals with an intellect above that of the average beast have been shown using the Voice to communicate. Humans, Sea Kings, Zunesha, and historically significant objects such as the Poneglyphs can converse or relay messages with the Voice of All Things. Roger himself was portrayed as being able to hear the Voice of the Poneglyphs. Even if he could not understand the script written on the Poneglyphs, he gathered enough to gauge that the message they held was of great value, which led him to set out on his journey of deciphering them to conquer the Grand Line and reach the final island on this sea route, Laugh Tale. This also led him to meet and recruit Kozuki Oden who was also able to hear the Voice, and he, in turn, passed down this ability to his son Momonosuke.
Who Can Use The Voice Of All Things?
It is interesting to note that the one who read and translated the contents of the Poneglyphs for Roger, was a member of the famed Kozuki family, who played an instrumental role in creating them back in the Void Century. So far, the most prominent user of the Voice was Gol D. Roger, the late Pirate King, who was able to follow the Voice of the Poneglyphs to destinations such as Skypiea, Zou, and Whole Cake Island, the stronghold of Charlotte Linlin, also known as Big Mom. He was also able to hear the Voice of the Sea Kings on the way to Zou, and it has also been implied that he sensed Zunesha's Voice, but could not actually comprehend it at the time.
Oden on the other hand, was able to hear the Sea Kings, but was unable to understand the messages they were attempting to relay. Much like Roger, Oden felt Zunesha's Voice, but could not interact with the elephant. Luffy has been shown conversing with Sea Kings and Zunesha, but he was unable to hear the Voice of the Poneglyphs at the juncture in the story when the Straw Hats found themselves on Egghead Island, the private research facility of Dr. Vegapunk. This might change with time, as evidenced by how he could not grasp Zunesha's message when he first encountered it, but was able to heed its call later on in the story.
Momonosuke has been depicted as one of the most gifted users of the Voice in One Piece so far, as he was able to converse with Zunesha directly. Like his father, he sensed a great voice when approaching the Whale Tree on Zou, and became the first one to build a relationship with Zunesha, giving it the order to attack the Beasts Pirates. Momonosuke also learned of the true nature of the Nika fruit from the elephant, and found out that Luffy's Awakening also heralded the return of Joy Boy. There is still a lot to be explained regarding this highly coveted ability, and Oda might finally shed some light on it in the ongoing final saga of One Piece.