One Piece is the adventurous story of Monkey D. Luffy on the surface, but beneath it lies countless unresolved mysteries. Oda is currently unraveling the origins of Rocks D. Xebec and has made an unexpected callback to Davy Jones, the lurking legend based on a real-life maritime legend.
Davy Jones’s presence continues to grow in importance in the final saga of One Piece. So, whether you’ve forgotten the tale of Davy Jones revealed in the Long Ring Long Island arc or are interested in learning more about this character, we have all the fascinating theories surrounding Davy Jones in One Piece here.
Spoilers Warning:
This article contains spoilers about Davy Jones and Joy Boy in One Piece. Make sure to catch up to the latest manga chapter before to avoid ruining your intended experience.
Who Is Davy Jones in One Piece?
In the Long Ring Long Island arc, Nico Robin was the first character to explain the legend of Davy Jones when the Straw Hats wanted to learn about the origins of the Davy Back Fight tradition. So, when a curious Chopper asked about Davy Jones, Robin stated that Davy Jones was a notorious pirate cursed by the devil to dwell eternally in the depths of the sea during ancient times.
Many believe Davy Jones continues to reside at the bottom of the sea to this day. Since then, the sea floor has been referred to as “Davy Jones’ Locker.” Legend says that everything swallowed by the sea, such as sunken ships, lost treasures, and much more, belongs to Davy Jones as it gets stored in Davy Jones’ Locker.
The most recent development about Davy Jones is that he is a revered figure among pirates, similar to Joy Boy. Rocks D. Xebec, who made his official debut in the ongoing Elbaf arc, described himself as a “worshipper of Davy Jones.”
Davy Jones was Inspired by a Real Life Legend
In SBS volume 38, when one of the readers asked about the details regarding Davy Jones and the Davy Back Fight, the author clarified that his version of Davy Jones was inspired by real-life nautical folklore, but he came up with the Davy Back Fight game for the One Piece manga. Oda also drew a sketch of Davy Jones in this SBS volume.
Moreover, since there are different interpretations of the legend of Davy Jones, Oda stated his take on this folklore as: “There was a lying, no-good pirate named Davy Jones, a greedy deck chief who was famous for putting all the crew’s valuables in his own locker.”
He was so wicked, even for a pirate, that one day the Devil himself cursed Davy to live at the bottom of the sea forever, swabbing the deck of a sunken ship and placing all the sunken treasure into his locker, where it would never be seen again. So when pirates say “Put ‘im in Davy Jones’ locker!!” it means “sink ‘im to the bottom o’ the sea!!” – Oda
As you can notice here, the creator was inspired by the lore of Davy Jones and added his own take as a lurking legend in the One Piece story. Then, the act of stealing from rival pirate crews went on to be referred to as “Davy Back.”
When the pirates competed in a game to steal their best crew members, it started being called “Davy Back Fight,” named after the legendary Davy Jones.
Who Could Be Davy Jones in One Piece?
While we initially thought Davy Jones was just a legend passed through generations, Oda is making the legend relevant in today’s world as Rocks D. Xebec looked up to him with unwavering devotion.
Firstly, Oda could introduce Davy Jones as a completely new character later in the story. However, fans who have been connecting the dots for years firmly believe we have already met Davy Jones in the story. That said, let’s take a look at all the theories for who could be Davy Jones in One Piece:
1. Joy Boy
Joy Boy continues to be the numero uno contender to be Davy Jones for ages, as his character fits the picture perfectly. Recently, Vegapunk’s message to the world revealed that Joy Boy is the first pirate in the One Piece universe. Imu, along with the twenty allied kingdoms, defeated Joy Boy and his faction during the Void Century. We don’t know anything about Joy Boy’s life after this incident, such as his death.
As you are aware, Imu is considered to be the sea devil in the One Piece world. What if Imu was the sea devil who cursed Joy Boy to spend his life eternally at the bottom of the sea? Since Davy Jones assumes ownership of everything that reaches the sea floor, he may have amassed a fortune and left it behind as the One Piece treasure.
Moreover, the World Government dictates the truth heard by the people, so it could have been the case where Joy Boy was branded as a notorious pirate by them. Therefore, many believe that Davy Jones and Joy Boy are the same person, where the ‘Will of D’ could be the will of Davy Jones.
2. Joy Boy’s Rival
If you’ve been keenly observing the new era, two destined rivals have always emerged in One Piece. For example, the rivalry between Gol D. Roger and Rocks D. Xebec existed previously, and now it is Monkey D. Luffy vs Marshall D. Teach in the current era. However, there is no mention of a rival character in the Joy Boy era.
When one side of the D clan members guides to the dawn of the world, the other side firmly believes in the destruction of the world, similar to how multiple version of Nika exists in Elbaf legends. So, fans speculate that Davy Jones could have been the rival of Joy Boy.
Moreover, there is a popular theory that Davy Jones was the loyal crewmate or even the first mate of Joy Boy, but they parted ways due to their differing ideals. This theory is getting traction nowadays as Rocks the Destroyer is confirmed to be a long-time admirer of Davy Jones.
3. Man Marked by the Flames
The legend of Davy Jones is connected to another unseen legend in One Piece, Hinokizu, the man with a burn scar. This mysterious man is said to have the final fourth road poneglyph in possession. So what makes him a worthy contender to be Davy Jones is his intriguing powers.
According to Laffitte, a member of the Blackbeard Pirates, Hinokizu is capable of creating vortexes and devours the ships into the depths of the seas. Moreover, he is also said to have been sailing in a pitch black ship, which contradicts the detail about Davy Jones living under the sea. However, he is still a worthy candidate to be considered for Davy Jones in One Piece.
4. Vander Decken Family
If you’ve seen the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, you might know that this version of Davy Jones sailed in the iconic Flying Dutchman ship. One Piece also has its version of the Flying Dutchman, which belongs to the Vander Decken family. In line with Davy Jones, the first Vander Decken’s tale is cursed in the world of One Piece.
Consumed by madness, Vander Decken slew all of his crewmates. Thus, the gods cursed him to sail the seas in his ship for eternity. As Vander Decken was obsessed with Mermaid Princess, he settled down on the sea floor near Fishman Island. He may have passed away, but Vander Decken XI, his eighth-generation descendant, continues to live here on the sea floor. However, we don’t know if Davy Jones and the Vander Decken’s tales are connected.
That’s everything we know about Davy Jones in the One Piece story so far. When a legendary pirate like Rocks worships someone, they are bound to be a very important character in the series. So we are hopeful that we will get to know more about him sooner or later in the story. In the meantime, share your favorite theories about Davy Jones in the comments below.
