Highlights
- Joy Boy was a special individual who spread joy and laughter wherever he went, freeing slaves and befriending those in need. He held the titles of Joy Boy and Nika.
- Joy Boy was not a person’s name, but a title given to this individual. It is unclear if Nika was the real person or another title belonging to Joy Boy.
- Joy Boy’s legacy includes a broken promise to the Fishmen and Merfolk, but he promised that someone would fulfill it in the future. Joy Boy is believed to have returned in the form of Luffy in the Wano Country arc.
Joy Boy is one of the most important individuals in the world of One Piece and a figure that has been referenced many times in the story so far. The exact past of Joy Boy isn’t clear in One Piece as it is directly tied to the Void Century and the Ancient Kingdom, however, there are things about Joy Boy that are very clear now, as the story has entered its final saga.
The legend of Joyboy is one that will have more details revealed as One Piece continues, and eventually, the entire thing will be explained to the fans on the final island, Laugh Tale. Until then, fans need to feed off of scraps based on what Oda has provided so far.
Who Was Joy Boy?
One thing that is quite clear to the fans of One Piece is that Joy Boy was an individual that existed over 800 years ago in the One Piece world. This individual was quite special and he was the same person who held the title of Nika as well. This person went from one place to another and spread laughter and joy wherever he went. He freed slaves from their miseries and brought a smile to their faces. He had a rubbery body, and at the same time, he fought in unimaginable ways. The biggest legacy of Joy Boy is the fact that he brought together many people, befriended them, and helped them in their times of need. Joy Boy was a liberator through and through and that is the legacy that he has left behind.
While there is quite a bit that fans know about Joy Boy, the very first thing they should keep in mind is that Joy Boy was not really a person himself. Instead, Joy Boy was a title that was specifically given to this person. This is akin to Nika, which is also another name that this person held, likely due to the powers of the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika. Fans must remember that it isn’t exactly clear whether Nika actually existed and was the real person that was titled Joy Boy, or if Nika was another title, just like Joy Boy, that belonged to this person with an unknown name. Regardless, what fans know for sure is that Joy Boy was not the name of this person.
Joy Boy And Fishmen – The Broken Promise
The very first instance where Joy Boy was brought up in the story was in Fishman Island. In this arc, when Robin explored the Sea Forest, she found a Poneglyph there with an apology written on it. This was written by none other than Joy Boy, who apologized to those of the fishmankind for breaking his promise. Joyboy had promised that he and the Fishmen and the Merfolk would live on the surface with him under the real sun.
Noah was supposed to be used to drag the Fishman race to the surface, however, Joy Boy failed at fulfilling this promise, likely because of the perils that he faced in the battle against the 20 Kings of the World Government. Of course, as fans know, the Ancient Kingdom and Joy Boy ended up losing this battle and perhaps that is why he ended up breaking his promise. However, Joy Boy did not leave them hanging. He promised that someday, someone would come in the future and fulfill his promise and that that person would be the next Joy Boy.
When it comes to Fishman Island, Joy Boy had befriended the Mermaid Princess, who was also known as Poseidon. They were incredibly close and it was believed the Joy Boy was the one responsible for guiding her to the light. Even though the Mermaid Princess also died, she is reincarnated hundreds of years later and now exists as Shirahoshi. Just like Joy Boy, she was also destined to return one day, specifically 800 years later.
Joyboy’s Return
Even though Joy Boy fell nearly 800 years ago, he promised that he would return once again after 800 years. How exactly he knew when he would return and what exactly transpired at that time isn’t clear, however, what fans know is that he knew for a fact that he would come back. In fact, his many allies were aware of this as well. Those of the Fishman Island know that Poseidon will return one day after hundreds of years. Similarly, they also knew that when Poseidon returns, a figure named Joy Boy would be the one to guide her when she needs him the most.
Similarly, other people who knew about Joy Boy’s return were Amatsuki Toki, who was from a clan in the land of Wano, and Toki knew about the first Nika. She jumped 800 years in time to get to the land of Wano because she knew that Nika would return in 800 years and she wanted to be there for his second coming. That is precisely why she wanted to go to Wano in the first place.
Over 20 years ago, Roger and his pirate crew reached the Final Island, Laugh Tale, where Joy Boy left behind his treasure. Roger found out the true history that day and realized that he was too early. However, Roger certainly wished that he lived in the same era as Joy Boy himself.
Meanwhile, Oden, who was called to the seas as if it were his destiny, also found out about Joy Boy’s return. He knew that Joy Boy would return in around 20 years of time and he went back to his home country to prepare for the return of this individual. Sadly, Oden ended up dying as well and he entrusted this role to his subordinates, the Nine Red Scabbards.
Joy Boy And Luffy
In the Wano Country arc, it became evident that the person that the world was waiting for was none other than Luffy. Joy Boy returned towards the end of the Wano Country Arc, when Luffy died at the hands of Kaido. Once Luffy died, his Devil Fruit awakened and Nika returned. Zunesha, who was one of the best friends of Joy Boy, heard the Drums of Liberation stemming from Luffy’s heart and declared Joy Boy to have returned. This is when Luffy fought against Kaido, who himself was looking for Joy Boy to test himself against. Kaido believed that Joy Boy would change the world, just like King.
He also knew that he was not Joy Boy himself and he was in search of this individual his whole life. That is precisely why Kaido was rooted in the land of Wano, because he knew that Joy Boy would come there one day. Kaido even believed that the person who would defeat him would be the one to beat Joy Boy since he had climbed to the pinnacle of strength and knew that he could not be taken down by anyone ordinary. When Luffy awakened, fought Kaido, and went on to defeat him, he realized that this person was Joy Boy after all, and that his dream had now fully been realized.
In the process, Joy Boy was reborn. Now, Luffy has to set sail for the Final Island and find out the true history of the world, where he will learn about the first Joy Boy and the struggles that he faced. Luffy will then have to fulfill the promise that he made and make the world a better place.
One Piece is available to read via Viz Media. The series can be read by the fans officially and for free on the Shonen Jump and the Manga Plus app. Since One Piece is going to be on break, the release date for the next chapter of One Piece, One Piece 1104, is set to be January 21, 2024.
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