A true One Piece fan would never forget the references to “Joy Boy” throughout the story. Back in the Fishman Island arc, Nico Robin hinted at the existence of Joy Boy for the first time. Since then, Joy Boy has been an enigmatic figure, leaving fans wondering who he is. Now, the Drums of Liberation reverberated as he officially made his debut in the Egghead arc. The resurgence of Joy Boy’s name has fans questioning his importance in the storyline once again. So, what do we know about Joy Boy so far? Keep reading to discover everything we know about this mysterious figure in One Piece.
Spoiler Warning:
This article contains spoilers about the previous Joy Boy and Luffy from the Straw Hat Pirates in One Piece. We suggest you watch the anime and read the manga to avoid ruining the intended experience.
Who Is Joy Boy in One Piece?
- Joy Boy Debut: Anime Episode 548 & Manga Chapter 628
For a long time, many believed that Joy Boy is a title bestowed upon a person and that he is not a real character. But Dr. Vegapunk put an end to this ongoing debate by revealing that he was the first pirate to ever set sail to the seas in the One Piece World in the Egghead arc. The old man further stated that Joy Boy was born 900 years ago in an advanced ancient civilization and lived during the Void Century. He was considered the star of this magical era.
Moreover, Dr. Vegapunk also disclosed that Joy Boy had “a rubbery body and was incredibly flexible.” It sounds so similar, right? Back in the day, he had the powers of the Sun God Nika (revered by the Giants and many other people), before Luffy. So, the original pirate was the man who left the legendary One Piece treasure at the Laugh Tale Island.
Recently, it was revealed that Davy D. Jones was the previous king of the ancient kingdom before Imu usurped him. Now that makes us wonder about the relation between these two mysterious figures. Were they friends, rivals, or enemies? We have to wait and find out.
What Does Joy Boy Look Like?
There has been only one clue hinting at the possible appearance of the old Joy Boy in One Piece. In One Piece Episode 885, Imu can be seen holding Luffy’s wanted poster in front of a giant Straw Hat in a frozen state. This was heavily linked to the old Joy Boy, as the current one is seen wearing a Straw Hat as well. So many fans began to theorize that Joy Boy was a giant or a buccaneer, but the legend’s official debut in the manga changed everything.
During a brief flashback of Emet, Joy Boy made his appearance for the first time in the One Piece series. Although it is more of a silhouette and not a complete reveal, Joy Boy appeared more like a human-sized figure. Joy Boy donned a Straw Hat on his head, had a hook hand, and a peg leg like a true pirate. In addition, he is also rumored to be the pirate with an eye patch whom Oda teased years ago. Another notable aspect is that Joy Boy’s cape bears a striking resemblance to the one Shanks wears in the current timeline.
Is Joy Boy a Devil Fruit User?
Dr. Vegapunk also confirmed that Joy Boy was the previous user of the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika, before Luffy. He fought with the powers of Nika, i.e., rubbery powers, just like Luffy does against his foes in the series. Moreover, Joy Boy is also known to have awakened his Devil Fruit as his first silhouette looked strikingly similar to Luffy’s Gear 5 form.
That is why many characters, such as Zunesha, Emet, Imu, etc, mistakenly identified Luffy as Joy Boy. Monkey D. Luffy, Sun God: Nika, and the old-gen Joy Boy are related by their powers and appearance, and we should learn more about them in the manga soon.
What Is Joy Boys Haki?
Joy Boy’s powers don’t stop just with Devil Fruit powers, as he was also revealed to be the strongest haki user in One Piece. Joy Boy was confirmed to be a Conqueror’s Haki user with a massive reveal that altered our perspective of Haki in the series. In the past, Joy Boy was able to store a part of haki like a knot inside Emet’s body and asked the robot to unleash it when the time was right.
As a result, Emet set loose Joy Boy’s tremendous Conqueror’s Haki during the climax of the Egghead arc. This resulted in every Marine fainting on the futuristic island, deporting all the Elder stars (except St. Saturn) back to the Holy Land. More importantly, Imu, who was in Mary Geoise at this time, could sense Joy Boy’s haki and trembled in fear.
This is indeed the most impressive feat we have seen in One Piece involving Conqueror’s haki. So, Joy Boy was the Haki monster before Roger, Rocks, Garp, Shanks, and Luffy. In addition, we are also certain that he possessed other forms of Haki, such as Observation and Armament, and had mastered all their advanced applications.
History of Joy Boy in One Piece
The history of Joy Boy can be easily summarized in a few sentences since only a little is known about their character. First and foremost, Joy Boy is a character born 900 years ago during the beginning of the Void Century and who existed during this era.
Joy Boy had ties with three important nations in the One Piece world — Fishman Island, Elbaf, and Wano Country. The One Piece treasure is left on the last island, known as Laugh Tale, by none other than Joy Boy. Upon reaching the final island and seeing One Piece, Gol D. Roger wished that he had lived in the same era as the mysterious man. He further added it’s too early to unravel the mysteries around Void Century.
Secondly, all the Poneglyphs around the world were left by this same figure. He wanted the future generation to take care of the Ancient Weapons. Since the people from Wano Country created the Poneglyphs, it is indirectly mentioned that Joy Boy worked with them on this script at one point in their lives.
The one important message left by Joy Boy in Fishman Island’s Poneglyph is how he regrets failing to fulfill the promise to the Mermaid Princess. With Poseidon’s help, Joy Boy attempted to raise Noah. However, for unknown reasons, it was deemed a failure. Then the legend also mentioned that he would return and their promise would come to fruition in the future.
Unfortunately, Imu, along with the alliance of twenty kingdoms, defeated Joy Boy in the Great War during the Void Century. 800 years later, Luffy is now considered to be the inheritor of Joy Boy’s will and powers.
Prophecies Around Joy Boy in One Piece
Numerous prophecies surround the man, the myth, and the legend that is Joy Boy in One Piece. The prophecies are as follows:
- The first one is that it was predicted that Joy Boy would reemerge precisely 800 years after the Void Century. This prophecy came into existence based on the historical accounts of Joy Boy left on the Poneglyphs.
- The second one is the promise to the Mermaid Princess and the people of Fishman Island, as we mentioned earlier. They will return and fulfill the failed promise one day.
- There were numerous instances of characters from the Void Century that confirm the return of Joy Boy. Somehow, they knew all along and were waiting for their return. For example, the sea kings were talking about the return when Roger was on Fishman Island.
- Oden also learned about the legend during his adventures, and upon his return to Wano Country, he sought to open the country’s borders to welcome Joy Boy.
Is Joyboy related to Luffy?
The heated battle between Luffy and Kaido resulted in Kaido emerging as the winner. At least, that’s what we thought. Luffy was sent to the brink of his death, but he awakened the true powers that lay dormant inside him. Luffy’s heartbeat started to throb in a pattern of the Drums of Liberation. This made Zunesha recognize and announce to the world that Joy Boy had returned.
On awakening his Devil Fruit, Luffy was revitalized with his new Gear 5 power and was seen laughing at his brand-new abilities. This was termed the second coming of Joy Boy, as promised years ago. Joy Boy’s return was further confirmed when Kaido himself acknowledged that Luffy is Joy Boy after all.
The most recent revelations in the Elbaf arc suggest that Luffy and Joy Boy are connected through the Will of D. We have to wait and find out if Joy Boy was the originator of the Monkey D. family in One Piece, similar to how Davy D. Jones was revealed to be the ancestor of Rocks D. Xebec and Blackbeard.
Now that Luffy is the second advent of Joy Boy, we will be seeing more of Joy Boy bringing freedom and smiles around the world. So that’s everything we know about Joy Boy in One Piece right now. Only a little is mentioned about the character in the history books, but I’m sure that we will learn more about this legend soon in a flashback.
That said, what do you think about Joy Boy and his ridiculous haki power in One Piece? Let us know in the comments below.
Joy Boy is an enigmatic character who existed in the Void Century in One Piece. Now, Monkey D. Luffy is announced to be the return of Joy Boy.
Yes! Zunesha has officially confirmed that Luffy is Joy Boy by announcing his return when Luffy awakens his powers.
Yes! A silhouette of Joy Boy in his Gear 5 form was recently shown in the One Piece anime. His character design will also be revealed soon in the climax of the Egghead arc.
