From Gomu Gomu no Mi to Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika: The Real User Before Luffy is Finally Revealed

The entire world of One Piece was rocked to its core when it was revealed that Luffy’s Devil Fruit, the Gomu Gomu no Mi, was never a simple Paramecia fruit at all. It was, in fact, the Mythical Zoan, the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika, a fruit that grants its user the properties of a legendary Sun God. This revelation completely re-contextualized Luffy’s entire journey, from his fighting style to his fated destiny. But with this new truth came a new, and even bigger, question: who was the previous user of this legendary fruit? For years, the community has speculated, with theories ranging from Joy Boy to Portgas D. Rouge, but in a recent, groundbreaking interview with Eiichiro Oda, the answer has finally been revealed, and it’s a character we’ve known all along, but never saw in the way we should have.

In a special feature from the September 2025 issue of Shonen Jump, Oda provided a bombshell of an answer that connects a beloved, tragic figure to the fruit that would eventually save the world. It’s a reveal that not only provides a powerful emotional punch but also adds a new layer of depth to the series’ most defining moments. The previous user of the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika was none other than the “God of Liberation” himself, the legendary pirate from the Void Century, Joy Boy.

Joy Boy: The Sun God Reborn

The name Joy Boy has been a recurring mystery since the Fish-Man Island arc. We’ve known he was a figure of immense importance, a promise-keeper from the Void Century who had a connection to the merfolk, the Sea Kings, and the ancient weapons. But Oda’s new interview confirms that Joy Boy was, in fact, the one who originally ate the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika. This explains so many of the previously confusing aspects of the fruit and its true nature. The reason the fruit was so feared by the World Government is not just because of its destructive power, but because of its symbolic power. It is the fruit of liberation, a power that directly opposes the oppressive rule of the Celestial Dragons. Joy Boy, a figure who fought for the freedom of all people, was the perfect vessel for this power.

The interview confirms that the fruit, in its awakened state, gives its user the ability to fight with complete freedom, using their imagination to create reality-bending attacks. This is the power that was once in the hands of Joy Boy, and the reason he was seen as a warrior who brought “joy” wherever he went. The World Government, in their fear, tried to erase all traces of this power, rebranding the fruit and its legend, so that no one would ever be able to use it to fight for freedom again. Their fear was not of the rubber properties, but of the imagination, the joy, and the liberation that the fruit represents.

This revelation also provides a powerful new meaning to the events of the Wano arc. The reason Zunesha was able to hear the “Drums of Liberation” was because it had heard them before, in a previous life. It was Joy Boy, using the same Gear 5 form as Luffy, who once led the charge for freedom against the tyranny of the World Government. The drums weren’t just a sound; they were a signal, a call to arms that the elephant had been waiting to hear for centuries. This is a crucial piece of the puzzle that not only explains the past but also sets the stage for the final act of the story. Luffy is not just the new user of the fruit; he is the reincarnation of a legend, a new Joy Boy who has arrived to fulfill a promise that was left unkept for 800 years.

The Connection to Shanks and the Red-Haired Pirates

The interview also sheds new light on Shanks and his crew. It was previously stated that the World Government, in their desperate attempt to secure the fruit, had it in their possession before it was stolen by Shanks. Oda confirmed that Shanks and his crew did not steal the fruit by accident. They were, in fact, on a mission to secure it, a mission given to them by someone high up in the World Government, a mysterious figure who wanted the fruit to fall into the right hands. The “right hands” were not Shanks’s, but the next generation’s—the one who would become the new Joy Boy. This explains why Shanks was so distraught when Luffy ate the fruit, but also why he smiled later. He knew, instinctively, that Luffy was the one who was meant to eat the fruit, and he was happy that the World Government’s plan had been foiled, and the legacy of the Sun God was now in a new, more joyful form.

The reveal that Joy Boy was the previous user of the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika is more than just a piece of lore. It is a powerful narrative device that ties together all of the loose threads in the series. It explains why the World Government feared the fruit, why Shanks was so determined to get it, and why Luffy’s power is so unique. It is a brilliant piece of storytelling that not only rewards long-time fans but also raises the stakes for the final saga. Luffy is not just fighting to be the Pirate King; he is fighting to fulfill the promise of a legend and to bring the world into a new dawn of freedom. The legacy of Joy Boy lives on, and the final war is about to begin.