Highlights

• Vegapunk will reveal more about Joy Boy in the next chapters of One Piece.
• Joy Boy may not be a name, but a title held by those who possess the Gomu Gomu no Mi.
• Joy Boy's real name from the previous world in One Piece was Binks, from the sea slum.

One piece The Egghead Island arc is coming to a close, and with each passing chapter, Oda has been revealing new information regarding the many mysteries that have eluded fans for decades. Of course, the biggest mystery of the entire series is that of the Void Century and the Ancient Kingdom. While it certainly won't be revealed in full right now, fans know for sure that Vegapunk will be dropping some major pieces in the next chapter, as it did in the previous one as well.

Vegapunk recently mentioned Joy Boy, and it looks like fans will also learn a lot more information about this individual in the upcoming chapters. That said, one important piece of information that Oda has yet to reveal is his real name.

Who was Joy Boy?

Joy Boy was the name given to a special individual in the Void Century

Fans first heard of Joy Boy a long time ago in the story. The first mention of this individual occurred during the Fish-Man Island Arc, where Nico Robin found a Poneglyph in the Sea Forest, on which was engraved Joy Boy's apology to the Fish-Men. Joy Boy mentioned that he could not fulfill his promise to bring the Fish-Men and Fishmen to the surface as he had promised. However, he did mention that he would eventually return and fulfill his promise later. This was the fans' first introduction to the character Joy Boy, and from here on, Oda only delved deeper into this individual's life, especially in the Wano Country Arc. There, through Kozuki Oden's flashback, fans learned a bit about the mysterious individual that was Joy Boy.

It was said that he would bring laughter to their lips and free them from their suffering!

It was revealed to fans that the one who actually left One Piece on Final Island was Joy Boy himself. At the same time, Joy Boy also left a message there, informing that he would return in 800 years, which is why Kozuki Oden was preparing Wano for his arrival. By piecing together what fans knew about this mysterious individual, it became clear that Joy Boy was exactly like Luffy, and that long ago he fought on behalf of the Ancient Kingdom against the tyranny of the 20 Kings who collaborated in trying to overthrow this prosperous kingdom. Of course, fans know that Joy Boy eventually died. However, what is also clear is that he himself knew that he would return later.

Why Joy Boy is a name, not a title

Joy Boy was not the real name of his Void Century self.

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 seemed like it was the name of an individual who existed long ago in the past. However, the more Oda delved into the lore of the Old Kingdom and the existence of this particular individual, it became clearer that Joy Boy might not be a name after all. The first hint of this possibility that Oda gave in the series was when it was made clear that Joy Boy knew that he would return later. Of course, this did not mean that Joy Boy would be revived. It simply meant that someone else would become Joy Boy. This idea was further strengthened by the fact that Kaido himself believed that it would be Joy Boy. King believed that Kaido was also Joy Boy, which once again strengthens the idea that Joy Boy was not actually a person's name, but something that a person could become. When Kaido defeated Luffy and knocked him off the roof of Onigashima, it once again became clear that Joy Boy was in fact a title. This was directly implied by Kaido, who told Luffy that he failed to become Joy Boy, like the others.

Most importantly, when Luffy awakened his Devil Fruit and harnessed the power of Gear 5, Zunesha made it clear that Joy Boy had returned. This is the return that Joy Boy spoke of in his message he left on Final Island, which Roger and his pirate crew discovered.

Clearly, Joy Boy wasn't talking about reincarnation, but simply someone taking on the title of Joy Boy by awakening the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika, and becoming just like him. The idea behind Luffy and Joy Boy being linked is the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika. This is the Devil Fruit that ended up giving Joy Boy the powers to stretch and shrink, which is what Vegapunk also described in One Piece Chapter 1114. Likewise, Luffy had the same powers, which makes sense why people would assume Luffy is Joy Boy.

What was Joy Boy's real name?

Joy Boy's real name may not be such a mystery

Clearly, Oda has left some clues in the story that point to Joy Boy not being a real name, but rather a title held by a person. This title is likely held by those who have consumed the power of the Gomu Gomu no Mi, and were chosen by the Devil Fruit itself, since we now know that Zoans have a will of their own and choose who they eat. At the same time, fans should also keep in mind that Nika is not a real person either. Nika is a myth that originated in the land of Elbaf, and it is from this myth that the Devil Fruit that Luffy ended up consuming was born. Essentially, both Nika and Joy Boy are titles, in a way. Nika differs from Joy Boy in that he is a divine 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 several occasions.

This gives rise to a very intriguing question about the real name of the previous Joy Boy that existed in One piece world. Fans know that Luffy is the second Joy Boy, but the name of the first Joy Boy remains a mystery. While fans may have no idea what this person's name was, he may have been right in front of them all along. All fans need to do is take a good look at the famous sea shanty, Binks' Sake. This song clearly implies the existence of a person named Binks and tells the story of the battles fought against both the sea and the hostile enemy that the people of the Old Kingdom faced.

Of course, nothing can be said for sure yet, however, the best guess right now when it comes to Joy Boy's real name would be Binks. Luckily, fans won't have to wait 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 real name was Binks or not.

One Piece is available to read via Viz Media. The series can be read by fans officially and for free in Shonen Jump and Manga Plus application. The release date for the next chapter of One Piece, One Piece 1115, is set for May 26, 2024.