Recent chapters of One Piece have revealed the existence of the curious Buccaneer race who share a surprising connection to Sun God Nika that could hold the key to several mysteries. Chapter #1096 in particular reveals that, in addition to the grave crime they supposedly committed, the Buccaneer race might have been erased because they shared Nika’s rebellious ideology of equality and freedom.

As unassuming as this information may seem on the surface, the history of the Buccaneers as well as the nature of their offense against the World Government may have serious implications and could even explain the origins of the Nika fruit and Joyboy’s identity.

Joyboy May Have Belonged to the Buccaneer Race

As X user Artur speculates in this post, there is a high likelihood that Joyboy was a Buccaneer, which could partially explain the grave crime committed by the Buccaneers mentioned by Saint Saturn in chapter #1095. Joyboy being a Buccaneer also answers several mysteries including the racial cleansing of the Buccaneers as the Government might have feared the race producing a new Joyboy, considering that the story of Nika was passed down among them through the generations.

Even more interesting is that Joyboy’s Buccaneer identity might also explain well the mysterious giant straw hat seen at Marijoa that has puzzled fans since its appearance. While the large size of the hat made fans suspect that Joyboy could have been a giant, the straw hat did seem too small to fit the average giant, suggesting it would better fit a Buccaneer instead, at least based on the size of Kuma and his father.

Furthermore, as suggested by Saturn in Chapter #1096, the tragic fate of the Buccaneers has been determined by history. If history is truly written by the victors, who in this case are the World Government, one can assume the Buccaneers might have once sided with Joyboy and the Great Kingdom during the Void Century. Unfortunately, they would have ended up on the losing side thus earning a lifetime of punishment much like Zunesha who was known to be Joyboy’s companion. That said, it is possible the Buccaneers’ true crime may run much deeper than simply following Joyboy’s ideology or having generated him.

Nika Is Actually A Myth Manifested Into Reality By The Buccaneers

The Buccaneers’ true crime might have been bringing the troublesome Sun God Nika, the liberator of slaves, into existence through his Devil Fruit. It is highly implied that Buccaneers might’ve made up the original myth of Nika considering how well the legend has endured over generations among them. According to Vegapunk in Chapter #1069, devil fruits represent humanity’s potential for evolution with every power stemming from a desire for it. Thus, while it is unknown if the Buccaneers physically created the Nika fruit, their strong desire for a savior might’ve unintentionally made Nika’s existence a reality by causing the fruit to spawn.

As Vegapunk points out in Chapter #1069, the possibility of devil fruits being a manifestation of desire also defeats the purpose of debating about the existence of a god, as anything is a possibility. In fact, Sun God Nika might have been a myth all along. The term ‘god’ is arguably one that is used very liberally within One Piece and has been used not only to refer not to Nika but also to the Five Elders, Enel, and the Celestial Dragons. The term often denotes dominance or power rather than supernatural omnipotence as best seen in Enel’s case and though various gods have been mentioned throughout One Piece, their existence has always remained questionable.

Moreover, the simple fact that the fruit is categorized as a ‘Mythical Zoan’ suggests that, like all mythical creatures the Mythical Zoans are modeled after, Nika too is precisely that—a myth. Of course, it is still entirely possible that Nika did exist, but he could have been a human being who was deified into the legendary Nika. This possibility might also explain why Saint Saturn might have referred to Luffy as Nika instead of Joyboy when he first witnessed Gear Five on Egghead in Chapter #1094.

The Buccaneers Were Destroyed To Erase Nika’s Existence

One of One Piece’s recurring themes is the idea that a man truly dies only when he is forgotten. The possibility of Nika stemming from a legend created by the Buccaneers may not only explain why the World Government erased the Buccaneers but also why they might have been so desperate to erase Kuma’s individuality as the last remaining survivor. Doing so might have been an attempt to bring an end to Nika’s legacy and erase Nika from existence by erasing knowledge of him. Though Who’s Who has previously mentioned other slaves having heard of Nika, the Buccaneers might be the only people left to actually believe in his existence, and erasing them would effectively reduce Nika to simply another forgotten myth.

Overall, Joyboy’s identity is inevitably linked to Sun God Nika and the Buccaneer race, and this truth has the power to shape Luffy’s destiny going forward. Having said that, although the inferences drawn regarding the Buccaneers and Joyboy‘s identity are only speculation at best, the Buccaneer race truly holds the best potential to explain One Piece‘s biggest mysteries.