Dials (貝（ダイアル） Daiaru, written in kanji as "seashells"; pronounced as "dials") are strange, mysterious devices made from the remains of particular shellfish, which have the ability to store energy and matter. The shellfish remains are gathered from the shallows near the shore of the White-White Sea. Though they originate from Skypiea, some of them can reach and be used in the lower seas.
Dials In General[]
There are many types of Dials that store various things depending on their type and most of them seem to be common throughout sky islands, though their rarity can vary by type with some being native to specific regions and some extinct, Dials come in many sizes and shapes, from the size of an average seashell to the size of human. Dials store energy and matter itself, usually by that particular type of energy or matter being absorbed by tiny a hole or holes on one side of the Dial and content can be released by pressing the apex on the other side of the Dial. As long as they are not used or damaged, Dials seem to be capable of storing their contents indefinitely. If the shell of the Dial is broken they can become unusable. Dials based on clouds are rendered useless on the Blue Sea due to the inability of the clouds to survive at that atmospheric temperature and pressure.
Dials are capable of letting the energy out in different amounts some use their contents in one blast at a time such as Impact Dials, Axe Dials etc. while some can use their contents until the Dial runs out of that content such as a Flame Dial.
Sky Warfare[]
On sky islands, battles are fought differently than down in the Blue Sea. Often times, weapons are upgraded, or even combined, with Dials. This creates incredibly powerful weapons. Furthermore, Dials allow for tactics that would be otherwise unachievable creating a whole different style of combat.
Impact Dials, as well as Reject Dials and Axe Dials, are generally hidden under bandages or a glove during Sky Warfare. Sometimes even Breath Dials, filled with noxious gases or bad smells, will be hidden as well. This allows for sneak attacks as the opponent will likely not be able to tell what kind of Dial it is, or that there even is one, until it's actually used.
Dials can provide even more of an advantage against those who do not know what they are and thus do not expect their opponents to be able to do such things. People who do not know about dials, such as many residents of the Blue Sea, can even mistake the power of a Dial for an innate ability of the user, such as when Perona mistook a blast from Usopp's Impact Dial as superhuman strength, since Dials are non-threatening in appearance, often small, and rare on the Blue Sea.
Dial Types[]
Axe Dial[]
The Axe Dial (斬撃貝（アックスダイアル） Akkusu Daiaru, literally translated as "Slicing Attack Shell") which cannot be found in Skypiea, delivers a thin blast of air in the shape of an X and is capable of slicing through a man and his shield made of iron in one blow. Like the Impact Dial, its main use is in Sky Warfare but in some situations, it may be appropriate for other uses.
Ball Dial[]
The Ball Dial (気泡貝（ボールダイアル） Bōru Daiaru, literally translated as "Air Bubble Shell") releases a puff of clouds that forms into a ball shape upon being released, which can be used for sitting or standing on, or be applied with explosives and other features. This Dial, like all cloud-based Dials, will not work at surface level; it will only work on the sky islands.
Breath Dial[]
The Breath Dial (風貝（ブレスダイアル） Buresu Daiaru, literally translated as "Wind Shell") is capable of storing air-currents. These Dials are usually used to propel wavers through water and on ships if there is no wind for sailing. These Dials can also be attached to the sides of a snowboard or "skates" as alternative methods of travel. Like many Dials, there are other creative uses for the Breath Dials. Unlike Jet Dials, Breath Dials carry smells and aromas as well. They are handy for storing gases, such as poisons, bad scents, and flammable substances.
Eisen Dial[]
The Eisen Dial (鉄貝（アイゼンダイアル） Aizen Daiaru, literally translated as "Iron Shell") is extremely rare, and possess an incredible power that is useful for both attack and defense. It emits a stream of "iron cloud" that can form into different shapes, like a cloud, but is as hard as iron. It can lengthen and/or widen without limits and can even form thick defensive walls. Ohm possesses an Eisen Dial, inside the pommel of his sword. This Dial, like all cloud-based Dials, will not work at surface level; it will only work on the sky islands. Eisen is the German word for iron.
Flame Dial[]
The Flame Dial (炎貝（フレイムダイアル） Fureimu Daiaru, literally translated as "Blaze Shell") absorbs and releases fire; it is not to be confused with Heat Dials. Flame Dials can also be used in sky warfare as they can be hidden under gloves or bandages in-which the user can release a stream of fire from their hands to incinerate their opponents.
Flash Dials[]
The Flash Dial (閃光貝（フラッシュダイアル） Furasshu Daiaru, literally translated as "Flash Shell") is one of the three known types of Dials that store and release light. The Flash Dial lets out an extremely bright amount of light for a very brief period, effectively causing temporary blindness if used against a person.
Impact Dial[]
The Impact Dial (衝撃貝（インパクトダイアル） Inpakuto Daiaru, literally translated as "Impact Shell") may be hit by anything blunt, or that does not slice, and will absorb the kinetic energy. Once the apex of the Dial is pressed, the stored energy is released, usually causing internal injuries to a living body, while not leaving any visible external damage. The Impact Dial can also absorb the impact of explosions. The Impact Dial, while not as dangerous as the Reject Dial, can still hurt the user through a backlash when a large amount of energy is released. However, many Sky Warriors have been shown to be highly resistant to this recoil. It's unknown if there is a limit of energy it can absorb, but so far these Dials have been able to absorb all the impact energy used against them.
Jet Dial[]
The Jet Dial (噴風貝（ジェットダイアル） Jetto Daiaru, literally translated as "Wind Jet Shell") is a more powerful version of the Breath Dial, which blows out a burst of air at great speed. This allows them to be used for faster propelling purposes. They were once used in wavers when they were common, but were replaced by Breath Dials when they became extinct. They can also be used in battle: by wearing a Jet Dial on each of the user's arms to increase both the speed and power of their punches. The punch is fast enough to cause the user's fist to seemingly disappear.
Reject Dial[]
The Reject Dial (排除貝（リジェクトダイアル） Rijekuto Daiaru, literally translated as "Rejection Shell") is a fiercer version of the Impact Dial. It is extremely rare to find, and also extremely dangerous to both the target and the user. The Reject Dial takes in energy, just like the Impact Dial, but releases ten times as much energy as it had absorbed. The backlash effect is capable of blowing the bodies of both the user and opponent to pieces, especially with repeated usage. Demons are almost entirely immune to the painful recoil of the impact force released from an Impact Dial. However, not many can take a hit from a Reject Dial: under circumstances, the impact would badly injure, or even kill, an ordinary person, even a soldier. For this reason, Reject Dials are generally frowned upon by allies of a user, as it may very well annihilate the user along with the victim.