WARNING: The following contains spoilers for One piece Chapter #1018, "Jimbei vs. Who's-Who," by Eiichiro Oda, available in English via Manga Plus media.

On top of the brutal fight between Jimbei and Who's-Who, Chapter #1018 of One Piece also revealed some interesting tidbits about an old legend. While imprisoned in Impel Down, Who's-Who was told of Nika the Sun God, a beacon of hope that kept his spirit alive through daily torture. Though Who's-Who isn't the most credible source, there's a bit more to the Sun God legend than meets the eye, including a possible connection to Luffy.

According to Who's-Who, in the past , Nika was prayed to by enslaved people who believed he'd free them from their oppression someday. It's unclear if he was actually real or not, or how far this myth goes back -- it could even be from the Void Century, there's so little to go on. However, the reason Who's-Who tells this to Jimbei is that Jimbei's the former captain of the Sun Pirates, a crew consisting entirely of Fish-Men, with a majority having been former slaves of the Celestial Dragon. 

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Fisher Tiger took it upon himself to free the people under subjugation in Marijoa after being a victim of slavery himself. His actions saved countless innocents, including Boa Hancock, her sisters and other Fish-Men who eventually join him in starting the Sun Pirates. To hide their former enslaved status, every member of the Sun Pirates covered their Celestial Dragon hoof branding with a brand of the Sun, deepening the bond between them. As a hero who became a beacon of hope for enslaved people with a sun theme, Nika and Fisher Tiger share this in common.

There's also further evidence that this isn't the first we've heard of Nika. In Chapter #287, the people of ancient Jaya are suffering from a plague. The Jaya elder proclaims that the most beautiful maiden must be sacrificed to their god in order to save their village. Kalgara's daughter, Mousse, is chosen and, though her mother is devastated, Mousse seems calm about "going to meet the sun god." This flashback takes place 400 years before the series' present, which aligns with Who's Who's statement about people "in the past" praying to Nika. This also isn't the only moment in the Skypeia arc that connects to Nika, as two moments pose a possible connection between Luffy and the Sun God, as well.

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One of the Skypiea arc's most memorable scenes comes in Chapter #253 as the Straw Hats have a bonfire party with some wild wolves the night before they go search the city of gold, Shandora. In a charming two-page spread, as Robin watches everyone dance around the fire, their silhouettes perfectly show which character is which. Strangely though, Luffy's pose in this spread is nearly identical to the silhouette of Nika on Chapter #1018.

There's a similar scene in Chapter #300, during the party between the Skypieans and the Shandians. Here, Wyper wakes up, taking in the scene, and there's a small panel focusing on the silhouetted Luffy -- and just Luffy -- as he's dancing. With this being the second time Luffy's appeared in a soli-black, Nika-like image, it seems more deliberate than coincidence. The look of Luffy dancing by the fireside seems to suggest that our favorite rubber man is linked to Nika's legend in some way.

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Despite this, it's unlikely that Luffy has secretly been a god this entire time. Similar to the "Luffy is a reincarnation of Joyboy" fan theory, it's more likely Luffy could be in a reincarnation of Nika in the same line. Luffy sharing this Sun-theme would also thematically pit him against Blackbeard, given that the dread pirate shrouds himself in darkness with his Devil Fruit power.

Chapter #1018 of One Piece subtly leaves us with a lot more to think about. One thing's for certain: this won't be the last we hear of Nika, and in the direction Wano's heading, the story's likely ramping up for a big reveal before the end of the arc.

Who is Sun God? Is Joy Boy the Sun God Nika? What does it have to do with Luffy?

Luffy’s Silhouette Similarty in Skypiea

Many One Piece manga enthusiasts confuse the silhouette of the Sun God Nika in One Piece 1018 with Luffy’s silhouette during the Skypiea arc, specifically in One Piece Chapters 253 and Chapter 300.

Naturally, Luffy’s posture in both chapters is nearly identical to Nika’s. As you may be aware, Luffy is rarely depicted in the form of a silhouette. Surprisingly, Luffy’s silhouette plays a significant role in the Skypiea arc. You’ll recall that at the end of the battle with Enel, a massive Luffy silhouette appeared in front of the Mont Blanc Cricket, accompanie

Camp Scene in Chapter 253 is One of Eiichiro Oda’s Favorite Scene

Eiichiro Oda mentioned his three favorite scenes from the One Piece manga in one of his interviews. Oda’s favorite  scene is the camp scene in Chapter 253, which features a silhouette of Luffy! This was also the scene that Oda wanted to draw the most throughout the Skypiea arc, so it was obvious that Oda paid more attention to this part.Given this, you could argue that the resemblance of the Sun God Nika’s silhouette to Luffy’s silhouette above is not a coincidence!

Sun God Nika’s Relation to Skypiea

One of the most intriguing aspects of the Sun God Nika is that the clothes he wears are similar to those worn by the Shandia people of Jaya Island. Despite this, Nika does not appear to have wings. This Nika is not a Shandia citizen, as it should be. Perhaps Nika only has a limited relationship with the Shandia.If you recall, the term “God of the Sun” was mentioned by a girl who was about to be sacrificed by the Shandia due to a deadly disease on Jaya Island in One Piece Chapter 287. Then there’s the sun symbol on the Wagomuland Skypiea gate, which was built after Luffy died, and the others. The strange thing is that the tip of the spear carried by the Sun God Nika is similar to the tip of the Mont Blanc family’s head!

This “sun” has also appeared on various sides of the One Piece world, in addition to Skypiea. For example, Madam Carmel mentioned in chapter 867 that the “Sun God” played a role in preventing the chaos that Linlin caused when they lived in Elbaf. Furthermore, if you look at the Kozuki Clan logo, you will notice an image similar to the image of the sun on the belly of the crane. The sun-shaped symbol was also used by the Kingdom of Alabasta to represent their kingdom.only that but the tattoo on King Neptune’s shoulder is also shaped like the sun, though the pattern differs from the Sun Pirates’ symbol. Of course, there could be other sun symbols scattered throughout the world of One Piece that we haven’t mentioned!

Joy Boy is Sun God Nika

According to the Who’s-Who story, the Sun God Nika is a warrior figure who smiles and frees troubled slaves. In English, this “smile” is synonymous with happiness, or “Joy.” So, does this Sun God Nika have any resemblance to Joy Boy? Furthermore, according to Joy Boy legend, he has an appointment with the former Poseidon. As a result, this Joy Boy has ties to the Fish-Man nation, which is also said to have a dark history of slavery. Not to mention the Mermaids’ and Fish-dreams Man’s of living under the sun, the title “Sun God Nika” seems natural for Joy Boy, who has an appointment with them. So this Sun God Nika could tell the story of Joy Boy, who promised to raise Fish-Man Island so he could live peacefully in the sun!

Luffy’s Relation to Sun God Nika

Several times in the manga, Luffy is associated with the sun. In Wano and Dressrosa, for example, the clothes he wears to disguise himself contain elements of the sun. Not to mention that Luffy’s current ship, the Thousand Sunny, clearly contains the element of sun. Furthermore, the silhouette of Luffy mentioned previously appears to be an indication that this Luffy is closely related to Sun God Nika.

Will this Luffy be the “Sun God Nika,” rescuing people from slavery? It’s not impossible that Luffy will become both Joy Boy and Nika at the same time, especially if this Sun God Nika is one of the nicknames that Joy Boy has carried in the past. As one of the leading candidates for the next Joy Boy, it’s not impossible that Luffy will become both Joy Boy and Nika at the same time!