One Piece has just disclosed a key detail about Joyboy’s identity, and it may just be the series’ biggest reveal since the debut of Gear Five. Vegapunk’s message to the world has begun with a bang, revealing the first new piece of information about Joyboy since the ending of the Wano Arc. The revelation has effectively sent One Piece‘s fandom into shambles, and rightfully so, as it implies Joyboy may be a much more important figure than anybody could have ever imagined.
In chapter #1114, Vegapunk’s message reveals that Joyboy was the first pirate in the world of One Piece. Vegapunk explains that Joyboy had a stretchy body like the legendary Sun God Nika from the stories of Elbaf and that Joyboy was the first man to ever set out to sea and be called a pirate.
The chapter also confirms that Joyboy belonged to the Ancient Kingdom, which Vegapunk describes as an impossibly advanced civilization. Thus, along with confirming that Nika and Joyboy were two separate entities, the chapter also finally confirms the connection between Joyboy and the Ancient Kingdom while reviving the series’ central theme of inherited will.
One Piece Reveals Joyboy’s Origins and Connection to the Ancient Kingdom
Joyboy Pioneered the Age of Piracy
Ever since Joyboy’s introduction on Fishman Island, he has become one of One Piece‘s most enigmatic characters, the center of countless wild fan theories, and the supposed key to the series’ biggest mysteries. The Wano Arc then subtly revealed two more aspects of his character, namely the fact that the One Piece found by Roger was in fact left there by Joyboy and that Joyboy was the last known user of the Nika Fruit.
Though many fans suspected Joyboy’s ties to the Ancient Kingdom, none could have ever expected that the glorious kingdom erased from history was Joyboy’s own birthplace. The confirmation of Joyboy’s connection to the Ancient Kingdom suggests that he possibly did play a major role in the war between the twenty nations and the Ancient Kingdom, likely even becoming the biggest thorn in the World Government’s side if Luffy’s Gear Five powers are any indication.
On the flip side, it is also possible that Joyboy only set out to sea after the Ancient Kingdom was defeated and the World Government established its authority, thus imposing restrictions on sea travel and allowing Joyboy to become the first pirate in the true sense of the word. Joyboy may have been the first to defy the World Government in such a way and likely went around bringing joy to the oppressed and enslaved in the war-torn world of the Void Century in true Nika fashion.
Joyboy may have simply emulated the fabled sun god, thus earning him his infamous moniker.
That said, possibly the most intriguing piece of information in the latest chapter is that Joyboy and Nika were two separate people, implying the latter may have truly been just a myth. As such, Joyboy may have simply emulated the fabled sun god, thus earning him his infamous moniker for making people happy, like the Warrior of Liberation. As for Joyboy’s race or ethnicity, given the clarification between Joyboy and the sun god, it is even more likely that Joyboy may have been a Buccaneer like Kuma after all. This theory would explain the large straw hat at Mariejois, the Buccaneers’ ancient unforgivable crime, and the passing down of the legend of Nika among the descendants of the race.
The One Piece is the Treasure Left by the First-Ever Pirate
Joyboy’s history of piracy all but confirms that the straw hat preserved at Mariejois is most definitely his. The straw hat plays a meaningful, symbolic role in One Piece, and it would make sense for Joyboy to have been the source of this symbol of inherited will. From Joyboy becoming the first pirate and Roger initiating the great pirate era, to Luffy possibly becoming the greatest pirate ever known, Joyboy’s origins bring One Piece‘s epic story full circle while also making the treasure he left behind at Laugh Tale all the more meaningful.
Seeing as Roger claimed Joyboy had left behind a tale full of laughs, it is even possible that the titular treasure is indeed a record of Joyboy’s pirate adventures as many fan theories have proposed. The popular theory revolving around Binks Sake may also hold some truth with its lyrics possibly hinting at the events of the Void Century and the nature of the final treasure.
Overall, the fact that Vegapunk was able to find out so much about Joyboy would imply that Ohara’s findings likely have many of the answers already. Even if Vegapunk’s message is interrupted, Elbaf being the Straw Hats next destination means that the truth about Joyboy and the Ancient Kingdom will be uncovered sooner or later. There is no saying as to how the world of One Piece will react to this massive revelation just yet, as Vegapunk’s message has only just begun and the most shocking secrets are yet to come.
