Luffy’s transformation into the “Warrior of Liberation” coincided with the awakening of his Devil Fruit, which allowed him to assume the mantle of Joyboy and make use of the increased strength at his disposal.
CAUTION: the following article may reveal events that occur in One Piece Chapter 1044.
Since the beginning of One Piece, Joy Boy has been among the series’ most enigmatic characters, and for the previous 900 years, there has been virtually no proof to indicate that he really lived until now, that seems to be.
Once Nico Robin recites the Ryugu Poneglyph in Sea Forest during the events of One Piece chapter 628, the 1st time that Joy Boy was alluded to.
Since then, there have been many references to the name Joy Boy, but it wasn’t until chapter 1044 that a significant portion of Joy Boy’s backstory was explained for the very first time.
Nico Robin is left wondering about the significance of the ancient Ryugu Poneglyph that he discovered in the Sea Forest. He speculates that it may be an apology letter sent to the Fishmen.
After attending Laugh Tale and discovering the real history of the world, Gol D. Roger, the previous Pirate King, expressed his desire to have lived at the same time as Joy Boy and said that he wished he could have been there.
Fans are led to assume that Joy Boy was a significant character in the history books as a result of these two bits of evidence, regardless of the fact that proof of his presence has been continuously hidden by Gorosei and the World Government.
The notion that “Joy Boy” is not a specific individual however a mantle that may be assumed by anybody working for the emancipation of oppressed people all across the globe is also notable.
The fact that King thinks Kaido may be a Joy Boy-like person and Kaido loses the notion that Luffy could be Joy Boy are both pieces of evidence that lend credence to this theory.
This notion was shown to be accurate in chapter 1044 when Zunesha made the announcement that he can again hear the “Drums of Liberation” and declared that Joy Boy had returned.
It just so happens that the beating of these drums coincides with Luffy’s heartbeat and his awakening of the Devil Fruit.
Furthermore, the chapter shifts its focus to Gorosei’s point of view, when it is stated that Luffy’s Devil Fruit isn’t the Gomu Gomu no Mi but rather a Mythical Zoan known as the Hito Hito no Mi: Model Nika.
It is stated that a fighter who holds Nika’s strength may provide the user’s body with an unprecedented degree of freedom, with the one limitation being the user’s own creativity.
One of the Gorosei says that the owner of the Hito Hito no Mi: Model Nika is “the epitome of the fighter of liberty” since he or she makes others happy by making them laugh and smile.
The such phrase fits with the concepts of freedom weaved across One Piece.
When taken together, these pieces of knowledge shed light on two extremely significant facets of the mythos surrounding One Piece.
To begin, Luffy is not the rebirth of Joy Boy; instead, it appears that the label “Joy Boy” is simply bestowed upon whoever has the ability to free the whole planet from its oppression.
Moreover, the Joy Boy from the past did in fact have the abilities of the Hito Hito no Mi: Model Nika, as Zunesha, a creature that is hundreds of years old equates the Awakening of this Devil Fruit with the existence of his long-lost comrade’s spirit.
The disclosure of the real identity of Joy Boy is an event that fits in flawlessly with the canonical progression of the story of One Piece.
The rumors that Luffy might really turn out to be Joyboy’s resurrection were unfounded, despite the fact that several fans looked to be terrified about the possibility.
The presence of the old Joy Boy contributes simply to heightening the concepts of hereditary purpose since over 900 years later, his will continues to be passed on via Luffy and the Hito Hito no Mi itself.
The usage of the ancient Joy Boy’s appearance has no purpose other than to highlight these themes.
There seems to be a lot more to discover regarding the ancient Joyboy’s background and his link to the World Government, which has been hunting his Devil Fruit for generations.
This major disclosure may have rattled the world of One Piece, but there is still a lot more to learn.
