Highlights
- Vegapunk to reveal more on Joy Boy in upcoming One Piece chapters.
- Joy Boy may not be a name, but a title wielded by those bearing the Gomu Gomu no Mi.
- Real name of previous Joy Boy in One Piece world hinted to be Binks from the sea shanty.
One Piece’s Egghead Island arc is edging closer to its end and with each passing chapter, Oda has been revealing new information pertaining to the many mysteries that have eluded the fans for decades now. Of course, the biggest mystery in the entire series is that of the Void Century and the Ancient Kingdom. While it is certainly not going to be revealed in its entirety right now, fans know for a fact that Vegapunk is going to drop some major bits in the upcoming chapter, as he already has in the previous one as well.
Vegapunk recently mentioned Joy Boy, and it appears that fans will find out a lot more information about this individual in the upcoming few chapters as well. That said, one key bit of information that Oda hasn’t revealed yet is his true name.
Who Was Joy Boy?
Joy Boy Was A Name Given To A Special Individual In The Void Century
Fans first heard of Joy Boy quite a long time ago in the story. The very first mention of this individual came during the Fishman Island Arc, where Nico Robin found a Poneglyph in the Sea Forest, upon which Joy Boy’s apology to the Fishman-kind was engraved. Joy Boy mentioned that he couldn’t fulfill his promise of taking the Fishmen and the Merfolk to the surface as he had promised. However, he did mention that he would eventually return and fulfill his promise later down the line. This was fans’ first introduction to the character of Joy Boy, and from here onwards, Oda only delved deeper into the life of this individual, particularly in the Wano Country Arc. There, through the flashback of Kozuki Oden, fans found out quite a bit about the mysterious individual that was Joy Boy.
It was said he would bring laughter to their lips and free them from their suffering!
It was revealed to the fans that the person who actually left the One Piece on the Final Island was Joy Boy himself. At the same time, Joy Boy also left a message there, stating that he would return in 800 years’ time, which is why Kozuki Oden was preparing Wano for his arrival. By piecing together the bits that fans knew about this mysterious individual, it was clear that Joy Boy was just like Luffy, and that long ago, he fought on behalf of the Ancient Kingdom against the tyranny of the 20 Kings who had collaborated in an attempt to take down this prosperous Kingdom. Of course, fans know that Joy Boy ended up dying. However, what is also clear is that he knew himself that he would return later down the line.
Why Joy Boy Is A Name Not A Title
Joy Boy Was Not The True Name Of His Individual From Void Century
It’s almost like a letter. Or, an apology. But, who are you apologizing to? Who are you…Joyboy?
When Joy Boy was first introduced in One Piece, it felt like it was the name of an individual that existed long ago in the past. However, the more that Oda dove deep into the lore of the Ancient Kingdom and the existence of this particular individual, it became clearer that Joy Boy might not be a name after all. The very first hint towards this possibility that Oda dropped in the series was when it was made clear that Joy Boy knew that he would return later down the line. Of course, this did not mean that Joy Boy would be revived. This simply meant that someone else would go on to become Joy Boy. This idea was further strengthened by the fact that Kaido himself believed that he would be Joy Boy. King believed Kaido to be Joy Boy as well, which, once again, goes on to strengthen the idea that Joy Boy was not actually the name of the person but something that a person could become. When Kaido defeated Luffy and knocked him down from Onigashima’s roof, once again, it became clear that Joy Boy was indeed a title. This was directly implied by Kaido, who told Luffy that he failed at becoming Joy Boy, like others.
Most importantly, when Luffy awakened his Devil Fruit and tapped into the power of Gear 5, Zunesha made it quite clear that Joy Boy had returned. This is the return that Joy Boy was talking about in his message that he left at the Final Island, which Roger and his pirate crew found out.
Clearly, Joy Boy was not talking about reincarnating, but simply someone else taking up the title of Joy Boy by awakening the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika, and becoming just like him. The idea through which Luffy and Joy Boy are linked is the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika. This is the Devil Fruit that ended up giving Joy Boy powers of stretching and shrinking, which is what Vegapunk described in One Piece chapter 1114 as well. Similarly, Luffy had the same powers, which makes sense as to why people would think that Luffy is Joy Boy.
What Was Joy Boy’s Real Name?
Joy Boy’s Real Name Might Not Be As Big A Mystery
Clearly, Oda has left a few clues in the story that point out that Joy Boy is not a real name but instead a title that is wielded by a person. This title is likely carried by those who consumed the power of the Gomu Gomu no Mi, and were chosen by the Devil Fruit itself, given that chance now know that Zoans have a will of their own and choose their eaters. At the same time, fans should also keep in mind that Nika is not a real person either. Nika is a myth that emerged from the land of Elbaf, and it is based on this myth that the Devil Fruit that Luffy ended up consuming was birthed in the first place. Essentially, both Nika and Joy Boy are titles, in a way. Nika differs from Joy Boy in the sense that it is a godly entity, and one can only become Nika after awakening the power of the Nika fruit. Meanwhile, Joy Boy is something that one can become, as has been pointed out by Oda himself in the story on many occasions.
This gives rise to a very intriguing question about the real name of the previous Joy Boy that existed in the One Piece world. Fans know that Luffy is the second Joy Boy, but the first Joy Boy’s name remains a mystery. While fans might be clueless as to what the name of this person was, it might have been in front of them all along. All fans need to do is take one good look at the famous sea shanty, Binks’ Sake. Clearly, this song implies the existence of an individual named Binks, and tells a tale of the battles fought against both the sea and the adverse enemy that the people of the Ancient Kingdom faced.
Of course, nothing can be said for sure just yet, however, the best guess right now, when it comes to the real name of Joy Boy, would be Binks. Thankfully, fans will not have to wait for long, as One Piece is already in the Final Saga and incredibly close to its end. Oda will, sooner or later, reveal the answer to them, and confirm whether Joy Boy’s true name was Binks or not.
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. The release date for the next chapter of One Piece, One Piece 1115, is set to be May 26, 2024.
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