Warning: The following contains spoilers for One Piece by Eiichiro Oda!!

In chapter #1115 of Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece, the silhouette of the mysterious Joy Boy was finally revealed. As expected, the legendary pirate looked eerily similar to Luffy, which makes sense as he was also a user of the Human-Human Fruit, Model: Nika. Yet, while Joy Boy’s transformation greatly resembled that of Luffy’s Gear 5, Oda seems to have included many significant differences.

These changes between Joy Boy’s strongest form and Luffy’s latest transformation could imply that the Straw Hat captain could still become stronger.

If Luffy awakens a new transformation, he could even rival the power of the 5 Elders, giving the pirates hope of still winning the battle of Egghead Island.

A Power Greater Than Gear 5

Joy Boy could have unlocked another form fans haven’t seen yet

In chapter 1115 of the One Piece manga, Vegapunk revealed to the world that the first pirate to ever exist, the enigmatic Joy Boy, fought against the World Government during the Void Century. As the scientist speaks, an anticipated flashback revealing the Warrior of Liberation’s silhouette can be seen. The depiction of Joy Boy is incredibly similar to that of Luffy while in Gear 5 form. Nonetheless, many small but significant differences could imply Joy Boy is in an even more powerful form. The First Pirate’s hair is significantly pointier than Luffy’s, despite presumably being in Gear 5.

Instead of the iconic white clouds that surround the Straw Hat captain in this form, Joy Boy’s appear to be black, like those of the 5 Elders. Lastly, his stance seems to be more aggressive. These differences may be the result of Joy Boy achieving a power beyond Gear 5, one that allowed him to fight hand-to-hand against the 5 Elders and their monstrous transformations. During the Egghead Island arc, we have seen Luffy struggle to defend himself against only one of these imposing warriors. It seems unlikely that Joy Boy could have fought them with that amount of power.

Luffy Could Become A Major Threat To The World Government

A new transformation could give Luffy the power to fight the 5 Elders

Despite having awakened a power capable of defeating a being as strong as Kaido, Luffy is still not able to deal with the threat of the 5 Elders. The young pirate has been pushing himself past his limits, although this does not appear to be enough to defeat Im’s emissaries. This seems strange, as Joy Boy was said to have been able to fight with beings as powerful as the Elders by himself, thanks to the power of the Model: Nika fruit.

Seeing as Luffy is still not able to achieve such a monumental feat, it stands to reason that he may not have unlocked all of his power yet. Oda is likely waiting to give Luffy a new transformation, one that could give him the strength needed to defeat these extremely powerful opponents. By doing this, the prophecy of Joy Boy returning would finally be fulfilled, with the Straw Hat captain becoming a warrior powerful enough to bring down the oppressors of the world. This new form could be similar to the one Joy Boy used during the flashback.

For years, Joy Boy and his connection to Luffy has been one of the biggest mysteries in One Piece. Due to this being the manga’s final saga, Oda is seemingly working hard to reveal the enigmas surrounding this character. Joy Boy’s true power and the reason why the World Government feared him so much could soon be revealed in Luffy’s fight with the 5 Elders.