The moment where Tama says she dreams of a day when Orochi are Kaido are gone and there’s enough food for everyone to eat was touching and also has some important implications for where her story is going.
It’s interesting how within this same story saga, we went from a land of feast, Whole Cake Island, literally made out of living food controlled by Big Mom, to a land of intense famine presided over by Kaido. Big Mom and Kaido both rule their respective territories with an iron fist – in Tottland, citizens of Big Mom’s kingdom have an abundance of food and live in relative harmony, but to do so, they’re forced to pay a piece of their soul. Kaido and Orochi instead starve the people of Wano, making them too weak in terms of both strength and will to resist occupation.
As soon as Tama’s ability was revealed in Wano, it was clear her power would at some point be used to turn Kaido’s army against him, but it’s still satisfying to see it finally come to pass in Chapter 1004, even if it’s completely predictable.
I think this chapter dispels any lingering notion that Tama can control real Zoan users. I never really bought that particular theory that Tama would user her power on Kaido, but this chapter seemingly makes it clear that it’s impossible as Tama makes no attempt to take control of Ulti, Page One, or Sasaki – only the Gifters, Pleasures, and Headliners.
I believe Devil Fruit contain souls of some kind, in keeping with the fact that they can bring inanimate objects to life as well as the myths surrounding Devil Fruit. We’ll probably learn more about Devil Fruit, Smile Fruit, and Awakening when Vegapunk is at last introduced, but for now I’d say Smile Fruit likely represent an incomplete merger of the animal soul contained in the fruit with its host.
Tama’s power works on animals, but not humans; she’s likely taking control of the incompletely merged animal soul of the Smile Fruit. Real Zoan Devil Fruit are entirely subjugated to the human will of their host and thus are impervious to Tama’s power.
Video Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xgsg7dRPZbk
*Theory by StrawHatJedi
