Joy Boy

The First Pirate · Champion of the Great Kingdom · Predecessor to Luffy

Profile

A man from the Great Kingdom. The first pirate. Made a promise to Fishman Island (Poneglyph apology). Wielded the Hito Hito no Mi Model: Nika. Friend of Iron Giant Emet, in whom he stored Supreme King Haki for a future moment. Allied with — but distinct from — Davy Jones. Per Vegapunk, was born too early to fulfill his promise; per Zunesha, “has returned” in Luffy.

Possible Buccaneer lineage

Kuma defied fate to save the modern Joy Boy (Ch. 1164) — strongly implies the Buccaneer race has a special connection to the Joy Boy / Nika lineage.

Arc-by-arc updates

• The name Joyboy surfaces for the first time in the series as Nico Robin reads the Sea-Forest apology poneglyph (p. 15): “who is it apologizing to?” → “Joyboy…”. No depiction; name-only install via the poneglyph. (All Nika/Buccaneer/Drums-of-Liberation content is forward — keep sealed at this chapter.) See Joy Boy’s Apology Poneglyph In The Sea Forest.

Referenced (Ch. 649) — the Fish-Man Island apology articulated

• King Neptune confirms Joy Boy was a person who lived on the surface during the 100-year void (~800 years ago), who made and broke a promise with Fish-Man Island; the Forest of the Sea Poneglyph is his apology, and someone is foretold to fulfill the promise “in Joy Boy’s stead.” Joy Boy was meant to use the ark Noah, and Neptune speculates he may have commanded the Neptunians (the Poseidon power). See Joy Boy Identity, Ancient Weapons. (Nika/Luffy identity not asserted — forward.)

Oden-era flashback (via poneglyph) (Ch. 967)

• Confirmed as author of the Sea-Forest apology poneglyph at Fish-Man Island (King Neptune, p. 9). Roger’s parting words at Laugh Tale, “Oh, Joyboy… I wish I’d been born in your time!!” (p. 19), cast Joy Boy as a Void-Century figure whose unfinished work awaits a successor. See Roger Was Born Too Early — A Successor Will Inherit Joy Boy’s Will, Joy Boy Identity.

Wano Country (Ch. 1043) — “Joy Boy has returned”

• Named on-page by Zunisha — “Joy-Boy… has returned!!!” (p.17) — at the instant Luffy revives to the drums of liberation. First time the mantle is invoked as present/returning (vs. historical reference). The power/identity link to Luffy is implied but un-named here (the Nika / Sun-God reveal is the next chapter — forward). See Drums of Liberation, Joy Boy Identity, Zunisha.

Egghead — Vegapunk’s broadcast canonizes Joy Boy (Ch. 1114) — referenced (broadcast)

• Canonized by Vegapunk’s broadcast as the main character of the Void-Century story — born in the advanced ancient kingdom 900 yrs ago, fought with a stretching/contracting body “like the Sun God Nika of Elbaph legend,” and was “the very first man on this sea to be called a pirate.”
• See Joy Boy Identity, Sun God Nika.

Egghead — Vegapunk’s broadcast (Ch. 1115) — referenced (broadcast)

• Named on-page as “a pirate”; his enemy was the precursor of the present World Government, “a provisional army put together by 20 kingdoms known as the Alliance.”
• Led a faction “so robust” the Alliance “had no other choice”; the Void-Century war “came to a close with the defeat of Joy Boy.”
• Wano citizens, hearing the tale, remark he “sounds just like Luffy” (p. 2).
• See Joy Boy Identity, Void Century and Ancient Kingdom.

The broadcast (Ch. 1116)

• Vegapunk states Joy Boy “attempted to preserve [the three ancient weapons] for the future” — the first on-page articulation of Joy Boy as the weapons’ Void-Century custodian. (pp. 8-9)