The story of One Piece is finally reaching its climax. In spite of being involved in the core of the story in this work, there are still many mysteries about “Joy Boy”. At the end of the battle against Kaidou, the true name of the Gomu Gomu no Mi is revealed. With this as a starting point, we are gradually learning more about Joy Boy and Nika, the Sun God.
What kind of existence is Joy Boy and what has he accomplished? In this article, we will thoroughly examine the true identity of Joy Boy.
What is Joy Boy?
Joy Boy is a person who is said to have existed between 800 to 900 years ago, also known as the “void century”.
Based on a line in the Wanokuni Arc, it is thought that in the present timeline, Joy Boy is a conceptual existence that refers to a person who fulfills some conditions.
Concepts and titles in modern times
In chapter 968 of the manga, Oden says, “We must open the country by the day ‘Joy Boy’ appears.” This line makes it clear that “Joy Boy” does not refer only to one individual.
Then, in chapter 1014 of the manga, as Kaidou watches Luffy fall into the sea after his defeat, he says, “You couldn’t be Joy Boy … … either, it seems…”
This has become a major topic of conversation. It is unclear how Kaidou knew about Joy Boy, but from the way he said it, there is no doubt that Luffy is likely to be Joy Boy after his victory over Kaidou himself.
Joy Boy is a real person who existed 800 years ago
In the poneglyph that appeared in the Fisherman’s Island Arc, there was a letter of apology written by a person named Joy Boy to the mermaid princess of that time.
Also, judging from Roger’s remark in a reminiscent scene in the Wano Country Arc that he wished he had been born in the same time period, it is likely that Joy Boy existed during the void century. However, it is unlikely that he is still alive today, so it seems natural to think that the title “Joy Boy” is used for someone who meets certain conditions.
Is Luffy a reincarnation of Joy Boy?
Based on the events during Luffy’s fight with Kaidou in the Wano Country Arc, the theory that Luffy is Joy Boy is gaining momentum. As it turns out, Luffy is a modern-day Joy Boy.
In chapter 1043, Luffy was lying on the ground after losing the fight with Kaidou. At that time, Momonosuke hears the voice of Zunesha, the elephant master.
Zunesha tells Momonosuke that she hears the first “drums of liberation” in 800 years, and that he is definitely there, and that Joy Boy has returned. At that moment, a dying Luffy smiles at her as if to say, “Joy Boy is back.”
The awakened Luffy is called Joy Boy
In chapter 1044, Luffy awakens to the true power of the Gomu Gomu no Mi, which will be discussed later. Now in Gear 5, Luffy launches an onslaught against Kaidou. Sensing his fighting spirit, Zunesha, who had come to the seas near Wano Country, expressed her nostalgia by saying, “It’s been a long time, Joy Boy, just like having you there.”
From this line, we know that Zunesha is comparing Luffy to Joy Boy, who was his friend 800 years ago. According to the words of the Five Elders, the awakened person of the Gomu Gomu no Mi did not appear for several hundred years.
It is not clear if the awakened person is always called Joy Boy, but at least Luffy is considered to be on par with Joy Boy because of his awakening.
What is “The Drums of Liberation?”
The term “drums of liberation” probably refers to Joy Boy’s awakening. The fact that Zunesha, who was Joy Boy’s companion, says that she misses it suggests that Joy Boy frequently roared this acoustic.
Since it has been 800 years since Zunesha heard this sound, it is likely that no one sounded the drums of liberation before Luffy was awakened, becoming Joy Boy. There are still many mysteries as to what exactly Joy Boy is.
The “drums of liberation” expresses Luffy’s awakening to Joy Boy, but it is also interesting to know what kind of scene Joy Boy was roaring the drum and what it originally meant. Given the name “liberation,” could that mean that before Joy Boy sounded the drums were there incidents of oppression in the world?
Luffy’s silhouette = Joy Boy?
The foreshadowing of Luffy becoming a Joy Boy was actually suggested by Luffy’s silhouettes up to now.
In terms of specific scenes, there is the campfire on Skypiea in chapter 253 of the manga, Madame Shirley’s prophecy in chapter 610 of the manga, and the last scene in the memorable episode 1000 of the original story.
Luffy’s silhouette in these scenes resembles that of Nika, who is connected to Joy Boy. So the foreshadowing that Luffy was Joy Boy was shown a very long time ago.
Was Joy Boy 800 years ago a person with the ability of the Gomu Gomu no Mi?
From the Five Elders’ conversation, it was revealed that the World Government had been searching for Gomu Gomu no Mi for 800 years, placing it as the most important of all the devil fruits.
Since Joy Boy existed 800 years ago, and Zunesha saw Joy Boy on the awakened Luffy, it is almost certain that Joy Boy was one of Luffy’s previous Gomu Gomu no Mi users. From here on, we will explain the relationship between the two, along with the true name of the Gomu Gomu no Mi!
Hito Hito no Mi Model: Nika
In chapter 1017 of the manga, it is revealed that the Gomu Gomu no Mi was such an important devil fruit that CP9, under the direct control of the World Government, was contracted to transport it.
In addition, in episode 1037, the existence of “that fruit,” which the Five Elders call legendary, appeared. This fruit has not awakened for hundreds of years, and the world government “went through the trouble of giving another name to that devil fruit in order to “erase the name of that fruit from history.”
This fruit is the Gomu Gomu no Mi, and its true name was revealed in episode 1044 as “Hito Hito no Mi Model: Nika”.
It is a fruit that possesses the power of Nika, the sun god who freed slaves from suffering and made them smile, and the awakening of its power means the return of Nika.
Joy Boy may have used this power to make people smile and liberate them. However, his existence is not convenient for the world headed by the World Nobles, and it is thought that they are trying to thoroughly bury him in the darkness of history, even giving another name to the devil fruit that houses his power.
Does the Gomu Gomu no Mi possess the will of Joy Boy?
It was discovered that the Gomu Gomu no Mi has another name, and at the same time, it was also discovered that the animal-based devil fruit has a will. It is possible that the Gomu Gomu no Mi, which is also “Hito Hito no Mi Model: Nika”, possesses the will of Nika, or Joy Boy.
When Luffy awakened to Nika (Joy Boy), Zunesha said, “Joy Boy has returned.” If we take this line as it is, it means Gomu Gomu no Mi = Joy Boy. Since the name of the devil’s fruit is “Nika” as it is, it is not surprising that the will remains.
There is a theory that the devil fruit preserves the abilities and souls of dead creatures, so Joy Boy’s will may have awakened along with the awakening of the Gomu Gomu no Mi.
Are Joy Boy and Nika the same person?
It is thought that the identity of the Joy Boy of 800 years ago = Nika, the so-called Warrior of Liberation. Whether those who have awakened to Nika’s power are called Joy Boy, or whether someone called Joy Boy awakened Nika’s power, the details are still unknown.
Considering that the guards who mentioned Nika’s name have been erased from the World Government, we can assume that anything related to Nika has been thoroughly erased. Therefore, it is possible that people who wanted to leave Nika himself and his achievements to posterity dared to use the name Joy Boy without using the word Nika.
Power has greatly intervened in the history of Joy Boy, including the void century. With Luffy’s awakening to Nika’s power, the truth of history will probably be unravelled at once from here.
Who is the Sun God Nika?
Nika was a legendary figure who was first mentioned in episode 1018. He was a legendary warrior who existed in prehistoric times and was passed down among slaves as a warrior who could make people laugh and free them from suffering.
It is thought that his purpose is to free slaves and that he is a being who seeks freedom. Later, in chapter 1044, it was revealed that he was a “model” of the devil’s fruit, which was not expected.
It was revealed to be the true name of the Gomu Gomu no Mi, which drew a great deal of attention. Nika was said to be an ancient being, but if he is the same person as Joy Boy, he may not have been that ancient, though 800 years ago is certainly a long time ago. Or, like Joyboy, Nika may be a street name, rather than referring to a single person.
What is the true identity of Joy Boy? Keep an eye on the final chapter of One Piece!
In ONE PIECE, Luffy’s true power was awakened in chapter 1044, and the theory that Luffy = Joy Boy became all the more plausible.
Luffy, Nika, the god of the sun, and Joy Boy, the disparate points of Luffy and Joy Boy, began to connect little by little. With Kaidou’s death, the Wano Country Arc is finally coming to an end.
There is no doubt that a storm of foreshadowing will be waiting for us in the future. I can’t wait for the truth about Joy Boy and Nika, which are definitely important keywords, to be revealed!