Highlights

Joy Boy was an important figure in the ancient world of One Piece, tied to the ancient kingdom and known as the Warrior of Liberation.
While Joy Boy is believed to have died during the Void Century, there is a possibility that he might still be alive in some form.
The Buccaneers, a race connected to Nika and Joy Boy, possess the ability to pass on their will to others, including inanimate objects, such as the Iron Giant.

Joy Boy is an incredibly essential individual that existed in the world of One Piece long ago. This particular individual was first mentioned during the Fishman Island arc, and ever since, he has become an enigma that fans want to know more about. It is clear for the fans to see that Joy Boy was deeply tied to the ancient kingdom and was one of the most important individuals that existed during this time period.

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In the Wano Country arc, fans found out more about Joy Boy, and the man who was known as the Warrior of Liberation as well. Luffy is currently known as Joy Boy, which confirms that Joy Boy was indeed a title and that the first Joy Boy, who existed in the Void Century, was some man with the same title as Luffy. While many believe Joy Boy to have died, it is actually possible that he might still be alive in One Piece as an individual that fans have already seen in the Egghead Island arc.

Joy Boy's Death In The Void Century

Joy Boy was an extremely powerful individual that existed long ago in One Piece. During the Void Century, Joy Boy was believed to be an incredible individual who befriended many people, such as Fishman, and the other races of the One Piece world. Joy Boy was also known as Nika, the Sun God, and worshiped by many. He was known as the Warriors of Liberation, and it was believed that he brought smiles to the faces of slaves and liberated them from their miseries. Joy Boy fought against the many evil forces of the world and utilized the power of the Nika fruit to fight however he wanted.

With his rubbery body, Joy Boy had more freedom than anyone else and he truly was so amazing that slaves all over the world prayed to him, and it is because of their prayers that Joy Boy ended up becoming a symbol, and, at the same time, a real hero to these people as well. Fans know that Joy Boy fought against the World Government at some point during the Void Century. Unfortunately, it is also quite clear in the story that the Ancient Kingdom ended up losing this battle. This means that Joy Boy ended up falling in this battle as well, and given that it has been over 800 years since, fans know that this individual is most certainly dead at this point. However, even though Joy Boy died, that doesn't necessarily mean that he has to stay dead in One Piece. In fact, Joy Boy might actually be alive in some ways already, and this ties in well with the Buccaneers of the One Piece world.

Why Joy Boy Was A Buccaneer

While it isn't a known fact that the first Joy Boy to exist in the One Piece world was a Buccaneer, fans have enough hints to piece this information together. For one, the Joy Boy that existed in the Void Century was the same person who held the power of the Nika fruit. As such, it is easily established that Joy Boy and Nika were the same person. When it comes to the Buccaneers, fans know that they prayed to the Sun God Nika and that it is specifically their bloodline that holds the lore of Nika to be sacred. This group of people have a lot of knowledge about Nika and how he was in the past, along with what he used to do and even what he used to look like.

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Now, some might believe that this was common information, however, the fact is that Saturn himself has confirmed that the Buccaneer race has ties to Nika and that their crimes of the past are of such magnitude that they either need to be completely eliminated, or be kept in slavery for their entire lives. This suggests that Nika himself had great ties to the Buccaneer people. When also considering the fact that the giant Straw Hat in Marijoa belongs to Nika himself, one can see that the giant size would fit a Buccaneer himself. This strengthens the idea that Nika himself was a Buccaneer and that is precisely why his people were completely eliminated from the world. However, despite the Buccaneers being eliminated, Kuma exists and it is through him that fans found out about the special ability of this race.

The Special Ability Of The Buccaneers

When the Buccaneers were first introduced in One Piece, fans believed them to be giant individuals who possess tremendous strength up their sleeve. It was revealed that the people of the Buccaneer race possess the blood of the Giants and that their strength is insurmountable. Essentially, they could do everything that the Giants could, with more compact and sturdy bodies. The Buccaneers were clearly special, however, when taking into consideration all the other races that exist in the One Piece world, they were somewhat underwhelming.

However, in One Piece after 1104, it was finally confirmed that the giant bodies and the tremendous strength of the Buccaneers weren't their real attribute. Instead, the Buccaneers possessed a special power that Vegapunk ties to Kuma's ability of being able to override the shutdown command and erasure of free will. Essentially, this could very well be the Buccaneers’ ability to pass on their will to others, including inanimate objects or even weapons. As such, this would explain why Kuma, who was turned into a Pacifista by the World Government, died, yet the body of the Pacifista still harbors the same will and ideas as Kuma. This explains why Kuma is currently on Egghead and still functions.

Joy Boy And The Iron Giant

If the special ability of the Buccaneer race is indeed to manifest their will and pass it on to others, including inanimate objects, then one could understand how the Iron Giant was created in the first place. For one, fans already know that the people of the Void Century had technology that far surpasses the current one. They also know that the Buccaneers possessed tremendous power. As such, it would explain why this race was so coveted. Perhaps, their ability of passing down their free will to others and existing as different objects was deemed to be very dangerous. If the Iron Giant was created long ago, then, perhaps, a member of the Buccaneer race could have been the one to pass on their free will to it.

This would explain why the Iron Giant, 200 years ago, climbed Marijoa, however, eventually, shut down as it ran out of power. Now that Luffy has returned as the next Joy Boy, those of the Buccaneer who are deeply connected to him have finally awakened once again to the tune of the drums of liberation. This would explain why Kuma suddenly started running from Kamabakka Kingdom towards Egghead, where Luffy was, and, at the same time, why the Iron Giant also ended up awakening at the same time.

Basically, the Iron Giant harbors someone's spirit inside, just as Kuma's Pacifista possesses his. As to who this individual is, fans do not know for sure at the moment, however, there's only one Buccaneer that fans know could have existed long ago who was also a significant character, and that person is none other than the real Joy Boy. Perhaps, the Iron Giant that exists in the One Piece world is none other than the first Joy Boy and the first Nika, and if that were to be the case, then fans are in for a ride as Oda will surely expand upon this in the future.

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 1105, is set to be January 28, 2024.