Warning: This article contains spoilers from the One Piece manga! The highly anticipated Elbaph Arc in One Piece keeps getting more intense after the unexpected appearance of Imu. The story foreshadowed the latest arc 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. 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 past. The story has confirmed that Imu, the mysterious ruler of the world, has been alive for centuries, and he even knew Joyboy. 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. Since then, 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 shows the first glimpse at Joyboy’s face, and he bears a striking resemblance to Luffy.
At first glance, it’s impossible to differentiate between the smile Joyboy had since it’s so similar to Luffy. The drawing seems deliberate, and it wouldn’t be surprising if Joyboy and Luffy really had a similar appearance. Ever since Luffy awakened his Gear 5 form, fans have often theorized that Luffy and Joyboy share similar appearances. However, with the manga being so mysterious about Joyboy, nothing could be set in stone until now. Even in the Egghead Incident Arc, when Joyboy made his debut, his face wasn’t shown.
The fact that Urara Takano was the voice actor didn’t go unnoticed by fans since she played the role of Luffy in the 1998 OVA, which was released one year before the series. Luffy and Joyboy are separated through time but connected through the power of Nika, the legendary Sun God. They both wield the power of the same Devil Fruit, which led Zunesha and others to believe that Joyboy has returned in this era. However, since it’s obvious that the character from the Void Century didn’t reincarnate, his title was passed down to Luffy.
Joyboy was the first pirate in history, but his legend was erased from the annals of history. While Zunesha believes that Luffy is indeed Joyboy, Imu vehemently denies the fact. Having personally known Joyboy, Imu knows better than anyone how powerful the mysterious character was. At this point in the story, Luffy is nowhere near that level. However, since Imu has already made his appearance, it wouldn’t take long before the manga reveals everything we need to know about Joyboy.
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