“You are the moon, unaware of the dawn. May your purpose be fulfilled. And cast 9 shadows on the night woven of 20 years, and you shall know the brilliance of the dawn.” This is Lady Toki’s prophecy, that pushed Orochi into a state of extreme paranoia.

The prophecy marked the doom of Kaido and Orochi. These words foreshadowed the end of terror in Wano. But what exactly was the meaning of Toki’s prophecy? Who were those 9 shadows that she spoke of? Even as the Onigashima raid boils down to its finale, much of it remains a mystery.

We know it foretold the coming war between the pirate-mink-ninja-samurai alliance and Kaido. But we believe it was more than an omen of the raid on Onigashima. There is a lot that goes unexplained in these cryptic final words of Lady Toki.

The Death of Oden and Coming of Toki’s Prophecy

First, we must revisit the time where it all began. It’s 20 years ago. The people in Wano are engulfed in grief and sadness. They have realized the treachery of Orochi and the impending doom of Wano. But it’s all too late – Kozuki Oden had passed on and all they can do is wail for their hero.

The 9 Scabbards race to the Kuri castle to save their highness, Lady Toki. While they do manage to reach the castle, it has been set ablaze by Kaido and his men. Momonosuke, Kin’emon, Kanjuro, Raizo, and O Kiku still manage to reach Lady Toki in the burning castle. This is where the beginning of the end is foretold.

Toki sent 4 Kozuki retainers and her son to 20 years in the future while she stayed behind and uttered those words that echoed as a prophecy. Why Lady Toki didn’t escape to the future is largely left unknown. But one thing is certain, she saw what was coming.

Breaking down Toki’s prophecy

To understand the prophecy of Lady Toki, we must first understand the several layers it is draped in. Just like we said, the prophecy was not mere forecasting an oncoming war.

The moon that is unaware of dawn

If we look into it then we see that the raid on Onigashima takes place on a full-moon night. But, but, looking beyond what’s obvious, we see that the name Kozuki means shining moon. The only surviving Kozuki people during the time of the Onigashima raid are Kozuki Hiryori and Kozuki Momonosuke. So this prophecy could very well be alluring to them.

When Toki says they are unaware of the dawn, does it literally mean they are unaware of Oden’s dream for Wano, or are they unaware of the person who would bring dawn to Wano. In this case, it seems to be Luffy (especially after Momonosuke’s interaction with Yamato). Fate led Luffy to Wano!

May your purpose be fulfilled.

Assuming that the prophecy revolves around Momo and Hiyori, what could be their purpose? Liberating Wano seems like the obvious option. Which means they will be the ones to bring about the dawn. However, if this dawn is somehow talking about Luffy, it could also mean that Momo and Hiyori’s purpose was to bring Luffy to Wano.

An interesting thing to note is this. Momonosuke got Luffy involved in Wano’s affairs. And Hiyori seemed to have swayed Zoro a bit (can we assume this, please?). Are these two Wano’s best bet at liberation? Is this the dawn that Wano was waiting for?

What is happening on Wano right now; i.e. the raid on Onigashima; is a night that marks the culmination of the efforts that people in Wano put together for 20 years. Even the players, especially Luffy and the others, have been tempered over a period of 20 years. So this statement about the night could go both ways to be honest!

And cast 9 shadows on the night woven of 20 years

Now here comes the part about the 9 shadows. At first, we believed them to the 9 Scabbards. But it turns out that there were only ever 8 retainers of the Kozuki Clan. Kanjuro was the traitor from the very beginning. Furthermore, the Scabbards and Izu have all been defeated by the Yonko.

So, who are these shadows who bring that bright dawn? We have speculated about this in a different blog, you can read about it here! (click link)

You shall know the brilliance of the dawn

This is the last part of Kozuki Toki’s prophecy, and probably it’s most dicey part. The most obvious way to interpret it would be to assume that Luffy’s actions would make others realise his importance. But, why focus so much on Luffy, what if Momonosuke and Hiyori hog the limelight?

The current situation (chapter 1013) looks set for Momo to shine. With Kaido apparently defeating Luffy, Momo might get a chance to either assist Luffy to get back up, or face Kaido directly (ok, the last option is too wishful). We had also speculated that Hiyori might be the mysterious person who healed the scabbards back in chapter 1004.

So, the last part of Toki’s prophecy could mean that the moon (Kozuki) shines in a way, which reflects the brilliance of the dawn. Or the radiance of the shining moon, casts shadows of the nine fighters who then go on to liberate Wano. Meaning, Momo and Hiyori’s actions could pave the way for Luffy and others to liberate Wano, thus allowing them to experience the “brilliance of the dawn”

Tinfoily, but okay!

The Letter from Oden

Before leaving for his final battle with Kaido, Oden left a letter for Toki. He wrote that he is at the peak of his strength. If he fails to kill Kaido, then no one in this era can beat the would-be Yonko. However, Oden said in his letter that in 20 years, a new generation will arrive that will bring an end to the tyrannical days of Kaido.

So, was it actually the prophecy of Oden that Lady Toki recited during her final moments? But the lingering question asks how Oden knew about the still-afar future? This question still go answered. But it does explain that the noble warrior saw the certain end of Orochi and Kaido in the coming time.

So, what do you think of the prophecy of Lady Toki? Was it just a foreshadowing of the raid on Onigashima? Do you believe there was more to the prophecy? Tell us what you think in the comment section below.