Warning: Contains spoilers for chapter #1122 of One Piece.
Summary
One Piece’s most intriguing character, Joyboy, has finally made his first proper appearance in the series, and it finally explains the existence of a particular giant straw hat. The latest chapter includes what might just be thebiggest revelation inOne Pieceto date, finally confirming several popular fan theories.
Joyboy finally makes his first appearance in chapter #1122 ofOne Piece, where he is seen in silhouette form in Emet’s flashback.Joyboy not only appears to be wearing a straw hatbut also appears to have a fake wooden leg and arm, suggesting that he could indeed end up being the mysterious character with the eyepatch that Oda alluded to years ago.
However, the biggest revelation in the chapter is that Joyboy appears to be quite tall in comparison to Emet, appearing to be almost the same size as the giant robot’s face. This finally confirms that thegiant straw hat hidden at Mariejois may in fact be Joyboy’sas it appears to be the perfect size for someone of his size. The latest chapter could also be the key to finally figuring outJoyboy’s true identity and raceand whether he was truly a giant or a buccaneer as fans have speculated.
Joyboy Finally Makes His First Proper Appearance in One Piece
One Piece Confirms Joyboy Was NOT a Giant or a Buccaneer
Though Joyboy’s silhouette was also pictured back in chapter #1115 as Vegapunk spoke about Joyboy’s defeat, that instance could arguably still be chalked up to Dr. Vegapunk’s interpretation of what Joyboy could have looked like. As such, the latest chapter marksJoyboy’s first official appearance inOne Piece, as well as the first instance of him speaking in the series.
Though he appears only briefly in Emet’s flashback, this one appearance, even with just his silhouette, has already simultaneously confirmed and disproved many fan theories about the mysterious first pirate. The biggest takeaway from the latest chapter is thatJoyboy was certainly not a Buccaneer, as he appears to have aregular human-like physique much like Luffy,rather than the signature stocky build of the Buccaneers.
Chapter #1122 also disproves the popular theory that Joyboy could have been a Giant, as he appears to be too short to be a Giant. That said, the chapter does suggest thatJoyboy was definitely taller than a regular human inOne Piece.While many of the panels that Joyboy appears in can be chalked up to being distorted by perspective, one particular panel does feature both Emet and Joyboy from a distance, and can be used as a reliable measure of Joyboy’s size in comparison to Emet.
How One Piece’s Full Joy Boy Explanation Changed the Series Forever
With the Awakening of his Devil Fruit, Luffy has become the “Warrior of Liberation,” taking up the mantle of Joyboy through unleashing his new power.
Joyboy’s Height Confirms the Giant Straw Hat at Mariejois Could Be His
Joyboy Was Likely Much Taller Than Kaido and Whitebeard
The fact that Joyboy is much taller than a normal human is first and foremost supported by a panel of Luffy standing atop Emet’s head from chapter #1067. In contrast to Emet, Luffy appears to be the size of a speck, while Joyboy appears to be about the same size as Emet’s face, if not a bit shorter, which would make himabouthalf the size of a regular giant.
Emet was already established to be much larger than the present-day Giants in chapter #1111 when the Marines surrounding Egghead reported on his size as he began moving. However, comparing a panel of the Giants from chapter #1110 and one of Emet in chapter #1116 revealsEmet is clearly three times the size of a normal giant, making him about 60 meters tall, which is around the same size as an Ancient Giant.
Taking all of this into consideration, including the average height of the Giants at Egghead, Joyboy was likely roughly ten to eleven meters tall, making him theperfect size for the giant straw hat at Mariejois, which would be too small for a Giant but perfect for someone a few meters taller than Kaido and Whitebeard who are around six to seven meters tall.
One Piece Reaffirms the Significance of Luffy’s Straw Hat
Overall, the idea that the straw hats at Mariejois could belong to Joyboy after all raises interesting questions not only about why the giant straw hat is being preserved, but also about thedeeper significance and symbolism of the straw hat.Luffy’s beloved straw hat is known to have originally belonged to Roger before it was passed down to Shanks and then to Luffy, which has led many to believe that the hat could represent fate or inherited will.
The revelation that Joyboy also donned a similar hat seemingly confirms that the straw hat could be a symbol of Joyboy’s inherited will though whether the straw hat could have any concrete significance beyond the symbolism is left to be seen. Nonetheless, Joyboy’s appearance inOne Piece’s latest chapter has opened up an all-new realm of possibilities in terms of theories and analyses which will likely continue to be fueled in the upcoming chapters and arcs of the Final Saga.
One Pieceis available from Manga Plus and Viz Media.
