One Piece’s Final Villain Confirms Luffy Is Not Who Everyone Thinks

Warning: This article contains spoilers from the One Piece manga! The ongoing Elbaph Arc in One Piece continues its intense battle after the unexpected appearance of Imu. The latest arc was foreshadowed in the Little Garden Arc over two decades ago when the Straw Hats encountered Dorry and Brogy. The Elbaph Arc is more intense than fans ever imagined as it sets up the Final War, which will engulf the entire world in flames. However, while the series is focusing on the fight against Imu and the Holy Knights, it’s also exploring the lore and the secrets of the Void Century. The story has confirmed that Imu, the mysterious ruler of the world, has been alive for centuries, and he even knew Joyboy, the first pirate in history. However, since the manga has yet to explore the truth about the Void Century, much about Joyboy remains unknown.

He was first mentioned in Chapter 628 of the Fish-Man Island Saga, which was released in 2011. For over 15 years now, the mysterious character has been a crucial part of the narrative, even if his face hasn’t been revealed yet. However, the latest Chapter 1188 of the manga features a crucial hint about him.

One Piece‘s Chapter 1188 Confirms Luffy Isn’t Joyboy

Joyboy wasn’t only a pirate, but he was probably the strongest character in his era. Ever since Luffy awakened his Devil Fruit, Joyboy has become an even bigger part of the story than he was before. Luffy and Joyboy are separated through time but connected through the power of Nika, the mythical Sun God. They both wield the power of the same Devil Fruit, which led Zunesha and others to proclaim that Joyboy has returned in this era. However, since it’s obvious that the character from the Void Century didn’t actually reincarnate, it was only his title that was passed down to Luffy.

Joyboy was the first pirate in history, but his legend was erased from the annals of history thanks to the World Government. While Zunesha believes that Luffy is indeed Joyboy, the final villain of the story vehemently denies the fact. Having personally known Joyboy, Imu knows better than anyone how powerful Joyboy was. At this point in the story, Luffy is nowhere near that level, which is why Imu wants to make it clear that he is nowhere similar to Joyboy as others expect.

The return of Joyboy is a ray of hope among those who have been waiting to be liberated from the tyranny of the World Government. Luffy has become overwhelmingly powerful since he awakened his Devil Fruit, leading everyone to believe he can crush any opponent he sees. However, the reality is far worse than anyone imagined, since Imu didn’t have to waste any effort to knock the Yonko down.

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