Luffy is still JoyBoy despite One Piece chapter 1122's confusing official translation

One Piece chapter 1122 was released on August 5, 2024. While the chapter was one of the best in recent times due to some amazing reveals, it was also confusing because of some dialogues. One such dialogue was from Emeth, who claimed there was no way for JoyBoy to be alive, thus putting Luffy's identity as the new JoyBoy into suspicion.

Luffy not being JoyBoy could make the story complicated as the Straw Hat Pirate is speculated to fulfill the promise JoyBoy made with the Fisherman Island. Fortunately, Luffy is still JoyBoy but not the one Emeth met in the past. This is evident from the differentiation between these two personalities and their comparison with the Sun God.

Disclaimer: This article contains potential spoilers from the One Piece chapter 1122 and has the author's opinion.

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One Piece chapter 1122: Why Luffy is still JoyBoy despite Emeth's claims

Emeth's apology to JoyBoy as seen in the manga (Image via Shueisha)

One Piece chapter 1122 saw Emeth fall to the ground after his hand was torn by Saint Warcury. After falling, he started apologizing to JoyBoy, stating that he should have known there was no way for him to be alive today. Luffy responded to him, asking whether Emeth mistook Luffy for someone else.

Emeth stated that Luffy's appearance resembled JoyBoy, which is why he felt nostalgic. Emeth asked for Luffy's name and learned he was a part of the 'D clan.' Emeth released the knot with JoyBoy's Haki inside and shook the world.

The fact that Emeth claimed JoyBoy was dead and no longer alive gave birth to the controversy of Luffy not being JoyBoy. This would further mean that JoyBoy's promise with Fishman Island would not be fulfilled (as JoyBoy was dead). However, this is a confusion and can be rectified by comparing Nika, JoyBoy, and Luffy.

The first appearance of Sun God Nika (Image via Shueisha)

Nika is a mythical god, more commonly referred to as the Sun God, first mentioned by Who's Who during the Wano arc. The god was famous through myths as someone who would save slaves from oppression, but there were no records of its existence. Nika's existence later led to the birth of the Human-Human devil fruit, Model: Nika.

The devil fruit was first eaten by JoyBoy, who used its power to become the first pirate of the Grand Line. After JoyBoy, the fruit was eaten by Monkey D Luffy, who later awakened his devil fruit powers to unlock Gear 5, also called the Nika form.

Monkey D Luffy as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

What connects Luffy and JoyBoy is the Human-Human devil fruit. However, what connects these two is the title JoyBoy. As most fans would already know, JoyBoy is not a name but a title given to people who bring joy to the people they live in. The first pirate of the Grand Line was given this title because he brought joy to the people around him.

Similarly, Luffy is JoyBoy because he has the Nika fruit and brings joy to the people he lives with. So, in One Piece chapter 1122, Emeth's comments meant that the first pirate of the Grand Line was not alive, but JoyBoy was reborn inside Luffy after he awakened his Human-Human devil fruit.

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Related Links:

• One Piece chapter 1122 spoilers
• One Piece chapter 1122 teases Joy Boy as the eye-patched pirate Oda has been discussing all along
• One Piece: Does the Egghead Arc end with chapter 1122? Explained