Chapters · Four Emperors (Yonko) › Wano Country

Chapter 1044: Warrior of Liberation

Arc: Wano Country · Saga: Four Emperors (Yonko) · Released: 2022-02-06

Summary

In the sky over Onigashima the defeated Kaido feels his strength inexplicably returning and hears a drumbeat (“Doom Dut Da Da”), laughing that he is “having fun, for some reason… even though I lost.” Momonosuke, hearing Zunisha, realizes “Luffy is… Joy Boy?!” — and across Onigashima the fighters learn Straw Hat is still breathing. At Sacred Mariejois, inside Pangaea Castle, the Five Elders reveal that the World Government has tried for 800 years to recover the Gum-Gum Fruit and never succeeded: it is no Paramecia but the Zoan-type Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Type, Model: Nika — “Nika, the Sun God,” the Warrior of Liberation, a rubber-bodied figure who fights as he pleases and brings smiles to the people, his awakening granting “greater physical strength and freedom.” In the Treasure Repository, Kozuki Hiyori (disguised as Komurasaki) reveals her true name and condemns the pleading Orochi, who is then engulfed by a final fire-drawing left by the dying Kanjuro. On the roof Luffy enters Gear 5 — white-haired, laughing, his heartbeat “sounding funny” — grabs the dragon Kaido with an enormous rubber hand, swings and slams him, then catches and inflates Kaido’s Blast Breath like a balloon.

New reveals

• The Five Elders state the World Government has attempted to recover the Gum-Gum Fruit for 800 years and has never once succeeded (p. 4).
• The Gum-Gum Fruit is actually the Zoan-type Human-Human Fruit (Hito Hito no Mi), Mythical Type, Model: Nika — “the other name of the Gum-Gum Fruit is… NIKA” (pp. 4-5).
• Nika is the Sun God / “Warrior of Liberation”: a figure with a rubber body who fights however he fancies and brings smiles to people’s faces; his awakening brings his rubbery body greater physical strength and freedom (p. 5).
• Zoan fruits “contain a will of their own”; the Elders say “it is as though the devil fruit is trying to escape our grasp” (p. 4).
• Luffy’s awakened state is named Gear 5 (pp. 10, 17) — first on-page appearance of the form (white hair/clothes, cartoon-physics rubber manipulation).
• Momonosuke, hearing Zunisha, realizes “Luffy is… Joy Boy?!” (p. 2).
• Kozuki Hiyori reveals her identity to Orochi (“My name is Kozuki Hiyori!!”); Orochi is set ablaze by a final fire-effigy drawn by the dying Kanjuro (pp. 8-10).

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)

Mentions / appearances

• Characters: Luffy · Kaido · Momonosuke · Zunisha · Joy Boy (referenced) · Five Elders · Kozuki Hiyori (as Komurasaki) · Orochi · Kanjuro · Kozuki Oden (referenced)
• Locations: Onigashima (Treasure Repository 2nd Floor; Pleasure Hall Leftbrain Tower; Performance Floor) · Wano Country · Sacred Mariejois · Pangaea Castle (the Hall of Power)
• Groups: Beasts Pirates · World Government
• Fruits: Gomu Gomu no Mi (revealed as the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika) · Hebi Hebi no Mi, Model Yamata no Orochi (Orochi’s eight heads)
• Lore: Sun God Nika · Devil Fruit Awakening · Monkey D. Luffy · Conqueror’s / Supreme King Haki
• Threads: Joy Boy Identity · Sun God Identity and the Divine Pattern · Nature of Devil Fruits

Notable panels

• Cover (p. 1): Title page. Cover story — Germa 66’s “Ah…” An Emotionless Excursion, Vol. 8: “Mama’s Away on Her Trip, Begin the Experiments!!” — the Vinsmoke siblings (Reiju, Ichiji, Niji, Yonji) and Germa scientists.
• p. 5: “NIKA.” — Luffy’s dancing silhouette inside a sun-circle as the Five Elders recite the Sun God / Warrior of Liberation legend. Mirrors the Skypiea bonfire silhouettes (Ch. 253 / Ch. 300) and the Who’s-Who silhouette (Ch. 1018).
• pp. 8-10: Hiyori reveals herself as Kozuki Hiyori (name-declaration “My name is Kozuki Hiyori!!!!” on p. 8); Kanjuro’s dying fire-effigy ignites Orochi instead of her. Hiyori: “The dawn is sure to come.”
• p. 12: Gear-5 Luffy’s giant rubber hand grabs the dragon Kaido out of the sky; the Beast Pirates feel Supreme King Haki.
• p. 16: Luffy catches Kaido’s Blast Breath and inflates it into a giant balloon (cartoon-physics rubber).
• p. 17: GEAR FIVE splash — white-haired, halo-ringed, grinning Luffy. “Don’t sweat it!! Let’s finish this up!! I’m sorry about that idiot earlier… I didn’t want to win that way.”

Open questions raised

• What are the full limits/costs of Gear 5? (Luffy: “I think I can last a bit longer… my heartbeat sounds so funny.”)
• Is Orochi truly dead, consumed by Kanjuro’s flame-drawing? (Engulfed on-page; outcome left at the cliffhanger.)
• What “potential future” do the Five Elders fear that would make this fruit’s awakening “make us beg for this outcome”? (p. 4)
• How does Zunisha know — and broadcast to Momonosuke — that Luffy is Joy Boy? See Joy Boy Identity.