One Piece theory explained: Joy Boy’s race, the Buccaneers, and Imu’s fear

Eiichiro Oda has consistently maintained the mystery behind Joy Boy in One Piece. Fans have been patient with the creator and hope he, in fact, reveals the lore behind this character. Till then, the fandom does what they always do best in these waiting periods: Have some intense discussions and speculations. In the recent chapters of the manga, it seems like Joy Boy may have been a member of the Buccaneer race.

While One Piece Chapter 1170 did not openly confirm this idea, the growing amount of narrative evidence has made the theory harder to ignore, especially when viewed through the lens of Kuma’s backstory, the legend of Nika, and the World Government’s extreme hostility toward Buccaneers.

According to the lore of this series, Joy Boy is known as a central figure of the Void Century, a man who fought against the 20 Kingdoms and stood for liberation. His apology left on Fish-Man Island, his connection to the Ancient Kingdom, and his role as the previous bearer of Nika’s will paint him as a symbol of freedom.

While there is information surrounding him, for fans, what has remained unclear for years, however, is his race, and that is where the Buccaneers enter the conversation.

The giant Straw Hat, Nika’s legend, and the clues hidden in plain sight

The Buccaneer race was recently introduced as one of the most oppressed groups in One Piece. We know that it was Saint Saturn’s words that made anyone from the race will not only have the unfortunate fate to be enslaved, but the World Government will go as far as to eliminate them. This goes to suggesting their bloodline is tied to a threat the World Government desperately wants to bury. That level of fear aligns perfectly with Joy Boy’s legacy.

That is why one of the strongest visual clues supporting this theory is the giant straw hat stored in Mary Geoise. Initially, fans assumed it belonged to a Giant, but later revelations complicate that assumption. Buccaneers are known to have Giant blood, making them larger than humans but smaller than full Giants. This would explain why the straw hat is oversized yet not impossibly massive. If Joy Boy wore that hat, a Buccaneer body type would fit perfectly.

Was Joy Boy the first pirate in One Piece?

Now this theory has another interesting layer that surrounds Imu and the covenant marks it gives. These marks appear to represent control, enslavement, and domination over individuals, and someone like Joy Boy could not possibly be part of this oppression. This theory reframes Joy Boy in One Piece as someone whose role might have been more than just being a liberator in the story.

While there have been hints that Joy Boy in One Piece could be a Buccaneer, fans have been keeping a close eye on every single panel of the manga as they hope to catch on to any small detail that the creator might have left in the story. Eiichiro Oda is known to play long games and let his fans sit on a piece of the smallest information for years before he confirms something.

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Till now, the payoff has been worth it, but to get a proper confirmation would be appreciated by the fandom because, as the story is on the Final Saga, there have been many sub-plotlines that were extremely important and have this one big piece of the puzzle solved. Because it would mean that he was indeed one of the first pirates in the world who had to take up that role just to stand up against someone like Imu.

Finally, as One Piece moves deeper into its endgame, this theory may be one of the keys that finally unlock the truth of the Void Century.

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