The combination of cute and terrifying is alive and well in Sugar from One Piece. From arc to arc, One Piece fans stumble upon characters that feel almost underutilized. They’re so appealing, and they leave you wanting more. It has nothing to do with the writing though. In fact, that probably only enhances the story as a whole. The Dressrosa arc introduces multiple dimensions in this capacity; presenting friends and foes that leave you speechless. For this segment, Sugar is one of those characters. So, without further pontification, who exactly is Sugar? Is she strong? We’ll cover that and more below. Let’s get into it friends.
Meet Sugar: Darling Of The Donquixote Pirates
Sugar serves as a unique member of the Donquixote Pirates’ Trebol Army, demonstrating unwavering loyalty to Doflamingo as she played a pivotal role in his conquest of Dressrosa. Despite her youthful appearance resembling that of a ten-year-old, Sugar’s true age belies her facade, as she is actually 22 years old. This remarkable suspension of the aging process is attributed to the extraordinary abilities ignited by her Devil Fruit. So, let’s go deeper into the character’s style.
The One Piece Sugar Costume: The Mark Of A Child In Limbo
When Sugar dwells in the underground realm, her attire consists of a white dress adorned with delicate light blue polka dots. Her teal-ish hair stays ruffled, framing her face, while her eyes hold a deep shade of dark blue. She adds to her left eye with a monocle, fashioned in a unique design. To complete her kiddy appearance, she drapes herself in a magenta hooded cape featuring bear-like ears. It’s important to highlight these features because, in many ways. it exhibits her inability to grow with her age. This stagnation has a toll on her size and sanity. So, what about the fruit that made all of this possible?
What Is Sugar’s Devil Fruit In One Piece?
Sugar possesses a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit known as the Hobi Hobi no Mi. This fruit grants her the power to turn living beings and inanimate objects into toys simply by touching them and declaring their new toy-like status. When she touches someone, their memories of existence are erased from the minds of those who knew them, effectively erasing their presence from history. These toys then become completely loyal to her and serve her without question.
A Terrifying Power
The true strength of Sugar’s Devil Fruit lies not in its physical combat capabilities but in its capacity to manipulate the world around her. This is unique because awakening isn’t explicitly addressed. By turning influential figures into toys and erasing their existence from memory, she can effectively control governments, organizations, and even individuals from behind the scenes. This power makes her an invaluable asset to the Donquixote Pirates, as they can maintain their control over Dressrosa without openly revealing their involvement. It also demonstrates how the power of a Devil Fruit in One Piece isn’t solely about physical prowess but can have a profound impact on the world in different ways.
What Happens During The Dressrosa Arc?
Sugar’s role within the Donquixote Pirates is that of a critical enabler for their criminal operations. Her ability to turn influential people into toys has allowed the Donquixote Family to maintain control over Dressrosa for some time without anyone realizing their true identity. We’ll add to this shortly.
By turning the nobles into toys, Sugar played a pivotal role in allowing Doflamingo to take control of the kingdom. This action plunged the kingdom into chaos and enabled various illegal activities, including the underground weapons trade and artificial production. Also, during everything else, Sugar’s ability to transform people into loyal toys provides the Donquixote Pirates with a ready-made army of loyal followers. These toys have been used for security, labor, and even combat, enhancing the organization’s overall strength.
A Savvy Politician: Brain Washing
As stated, through the erasure of memories associated with her toys, Sugar ensures that her victims’ knowledge or secrets cannot be used against the Donquixote Pirates. This information control is crucial for staying one step ahead of their enemies. The Donquixote Pirates use their control over influential toys to manipulate Dressrosa’s political landscape, ensuring their interests are protected and their enemies are suppressed. This allows them to maintain a façade of legitimacy in the eyes of the public. Ultimately this is thwarted by a variety of factors. We’re going to address the big one now.
Combat: Can Sugar Actually Fight in One Piece?
By fight, we mean fists and feet. In this case, not really. Usopp manages to leave Sugar petrified with his special technique. One can only imagine that this is partly due to her stifled growth. That aside, she is incredibly agile. Most of the perpetually young pirate’s strength lies in her ability to project the Hobi Hobi no Mi.
When comparing her strength to other characters, it’s essential to consider the context and her role within the Donquixote Pirates. In terms of manipulation and covert operations, Sugar’s abilities are second to none. Her power allows her to exert control over an entire kingdom and influence world events. She’s an absolute force, but her loss of growth has handicapped her physical prowess significantly.
The Legacy Of Sugar In One Piece
Sugar is a unique character in One Piece, to say the least, whose strength lies in her extraordinary Devil Fruit abilities and her strategic importance within the Donquixote Pirates. Her power to turn people into toys and manipulate their memories has allowed the Donquixote Family to maintain control over Dressrosa and conduct their illegal activities covertly. While she may not be a physical powerhouse like many other characters in the series, her contributions to the plot are definitely significant. If fans wanted to get philosophical about Sugar, she definitely seems to embody the crisis of “Peter Pan Syndrome.”
Although she appears to be a worthy pirate, just like Doflamingo, this childlike psychosis becomes an anchor. Many of us deal with the same issues. It’s hard to evolve past what makes us comfortable. In many ways, Sugar is the embodiment of that struggle and a haunting reminder of what comes after refusing to (or being unable to) grow up.
