This article contains spoilers for the One Piece series.
Summary
- Joy Boy could have been the first Pirate King before Gol D. Roger.
- Joy Boy's story is shrouded in mystery but he may have been more powerful than any character seen so far.
- While other characters like Rocks D. Xebec had potential, Luffy is on track to become the next Pirate King.
There is no grander title in One Piece than that of the Pirate King. After all, one of Luffy’s goals in the series is to obtain the grand treasure of the One Piece and attain this title. The only known person to hold the title of Pirate King in the series is Gol D. Roger. However, another man might have been the Pirate King, far, far before Roger’s era.
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Roger Might Have Not Been The First Pirate King
Joy Boy Could Have Been The First
Gol D. Roger is definitely one of the most legendary figures of the One Piece world, being the Pirate King. Not only that, but he was technically the first character seen in the series, in general. This man started the Great Pirate Era, and his influence on the story can’t be understated.
Gol D. Roger is referred to as the Pirate King, a title Luffy and countless others aspire to have. Why he was called the Pirate King is simple. He conquered the Grand Line and reached the final island, Laugh Tale.
Gol D. Roger, however, might not have been the first person in the One Piece world to conquer the Grand Line. The title of Pirate King was technically created for Roger, but another pirate might have fit the criteria to be the Pirate King far before Roger was even born. This Pirate is none other than Joy Boy, the second Nika.
Joy Boy is, perhaps, even more legendary than Gol D. Roger himself as he was revealed to be the very first pirate in history by Vegapunk. As the first pirate, and especially as someone who possesses the same powers of Luffy as Nika, it wouldn't be a surprise for the fans to know that Joy Boy had explored the entire Grand Line before his eventual death.
Joy Boy’s story is still unknown so far and largely shrouded in mystery. Fans really don’t know much about him, despite his importance to the story. Fans will definitely get to learn more about this man as the story progresses. One thing is for sure, however, and that's that he was insanely powerful, probably stronger than any other character seen so far in the story, aside from Imu. A character like him could’ve definitely conquered the Grand Line.
Could Anyone Else Have Been The Pirate King?
A Few Potential Candidates Could've Claimed It But Failed
There are definitely a few characters who come to mind when one thinks of people who could have potentially become the Pirate King, but fell short. For example, Rocks D. Xebec definitely had the potential, especially as he probably had the strongest pirate crew seen in the series, but he died before accomplishing his goals.
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Whitebeard and Shanks are also two characters who are strong enough to have earned this title for themselves. But, it appears that neither of them actually cares for it.
“I'm Going to Become King of the Pirates!" — Monkey D. Luffy
Luffy, the series’ main character, will eventually reach his goal, which is Laugh Tale, and earn this grand title for himself, alongside the One Piece.
Where to Read One Piece?
Available on Manga Plus
One Piece chapter 1149 will be delayed. One Piece is going to drop on Sunday. In Japan, One Piece drops at 12AM JST on Monday. However, the vast majority of international readers will see the chapter available on May 25. The official release date of One Piece Chapter 1149 is May 25, 2025. Fans can read the chapter for free on Manga Plus.
- Release Date
- October 20, 1999
- Network
- Fuji TV
- Directors
- Hiroaki Miyamoto, Konosuke Uda, Junji Shimizu, Satoshi Itō, Munehisa Sakai, Katsumi Tokoro, Yutaka Nakajima, Yoshihiro Ueda, Kenichi Takeshita, Yoko Ikeda, Ryota Nakamura, Hiroyuki Kakudou, Takahiro Imamura, Toshihiro Maeya, Yûji Endô, Nozomu Shishido, Hidehiko Kadota, Sumio Watanabe, Harume Kosaka, Yasuhiro Tanabe, Yukihiko Nakao, Keisuke Onishi, Junichi Fujise, Hiroyuki Satou
Cast
-
Mayumi TanakaMonkey D. Luffy (voice) -
Kazuya NakaiRoronoa Zoro (voice)
WHERE TO WATCH
- Studio
- Toei Animation
- Creator
- Eiichiro Oda
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll, Netflix, Hulu, Pluto TV
