One Piece has been sailing the seas of anime and manga for over 26 years, captivating fans with its epic storytelling and unique narrative. This epic story revolves around a crew of ambitious pirates, driven by their desire to become the most fearsome plunderers on the open waters. From the very beginning, readers and viewers alike were hooked by this tale brimming with friendship, moral complexity, unwavering hope, and an irresistible dose of chaotic energy.

Recommended Videos

In its ginormous assortment of characters, the author Eiichiro Oda masterfully crafted each individual’s backstory and life, immersing us in a world where the lines between villains and heroes are blurred. As we embark on this extraordinary fictional journey, we gradually delve deeper into the lives of each Straw Hat member and while Sanji’s presence has been with us since the Baratie Arc, it wasn’t until well after the time skip that his enigmatic past was unveiled.

Who is Sanji’s family?

It was in the Whole Cake arc, that his past finally unfolds — Sanji’s true name is none other than Vinsmoke Sanji. He hails from a prestigious lineage of royalty and was once the prince of the Germa Kingdom, despite being disowned not once, but twice. Amidst the whirlwind of chaos and startling revelations surrounding the Vinsmoke family, we are introduced to Sanji’s siblings — Reiju, Ichiji, Niji, and Yonji — along with their father, the family’s patriarch, Vinsmoke Judge.

Adjunct to their dominion over the Germa Kingdom, the Vinsmokes hold command over the Kingdom’s Underworld army, known as Germa 66. Their exploits garnered such fame that they even became the subject of their own comic books, almost becoming mythical superheroes within the world of One Piece. Surprisingly enough, this fictional depiction of the Vinsmoke bloodline wasn’t too far from reality.

As a result of Judge’s exceptional scientific expertise – as one of the founders of the SSG – the Vinsmokes spearheaded groundbreaking research when it comes to combat technology, from cloning, aiming to create an inexhaustible army, to implementing genetic modifications to endow their children with superhuman abilities. They also created the legendary “Raid Suit,” becoming an almost indestructible force within the underworld.

What is the raid suit and what does it do?

One of the many technological advances hailing from the Vinsmoke patriarch is the Raid Suit. While each member of the family has already undergone genetic modifications to attain superhuman abilities, Judge went a step further and created the Raid Suit, an extraordinary apparatus that enhances their combat capabilities to unimaginable heights, surpassing even the limits of conventional superhumans.

The raid suits consist of a complete ensemble of clothing and technological accessories, meticulously crafted to empower its wearers in battle. The suits enable the Vinsmokes to effortlessly hover midair and give them unmatched agility and velocity. To wear the clothing piece, the Vinsmoke member just activates a canister that houses the suit, and it seamlessly adapts to the wearer’s physique, exclusively fitting the members of the Vinsmoke family.

What does Sanji’s raid suit do?

As for Sanji’s own individual raid suit, which was created in spite of whether or not he was disowned from his family’s rendezvous, it holds powers akin to those possessed by his siblings. Sharing the common traits of fire resistance and superhuman strength, each suit boasts remarkable capabilities. However, in addition to these enhancements, every personalized suit grants its wearer a unique ability, further setting them apart.

The customized suits, along with their individual canisters, are meticulously tailored to suit the Vinsmoke sibling. In the case of Sanji’s suit, it gave him a newfound ability known as “Stealth Black,” granting the cook the power of invisibility. Although it is an incredibly powerful tool in battle, it wouldn’t be characteristic of Sanji if he didn’t utilize it for some mischief as well since he ended up using it to spy on the girls in the ladies’ room — because he is still Sanji at the end of the day.

Albeit bittersweet, Sanji made the difficult decision to destroy his Raid Suit, hoping to sever ties with his Germa lineage and escape the haunting trauma it represented, but still, he couldn’t completely rid himself of its legacy. The genetic modifications and enhancements, which his siblings all underwent, still remained within him. Despite his mother’s efforts to shield him from the corrupting effects of these alterations through medication, the suit ultimately awakened the dormant superhuman abilities inherent in all Vinsmokes.

As for his invisibility, while he won’t be able to complete his lifelong dream of becoming a “superhero,” — aka be able to peep peacefully — Sanji is still able to reach a pseudo-invisibility state through sheer speed during a fight. Ultimately, even though he no longer has his raid suit, he has still become a superhuman and after the Whole Cake arc, we can proudly say that Sanji is a man that is very deserving of belonging in the monster trio.