Warning!: Contains major spoilers for One Piece chapter #1044
The most anticipated chapter in One Piece's history has finally landed, and saying that it did not disappoint would be a major understatement. The mysteries behind Luffy's powers, the Sun God Nika, and Joy Boy, all came together in what is, without a doubt, one of the most memorable chapters in the manga's 25 years of history.
Luffy is the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, and he set out to sea to become the Pirate King. As a kid, he ate the Gomu Gomu no Mi Devil Fruit, which gave his body the properties of rubber. In the first part of the series, he was able to stretch his limbs, in a similar way to Marvel's Mister Fantastic, to obtain various effects and perform powerful attacks. His body was also immune to the majority of blunt damage, and electricity. Proceeding in his adventure, Luffy had to face more and more powerful opponents, so he had to gain greater control and mastery over his abilities. The Gear Second, Third, and Fourth techniques used Luffy's rubber body in more creative ways, to obtain devastating effects. Not many chapters ago, however, One Piece teased that Luffy's Devil Fruit might not be what it looks like, and that mystery has finally been answered.
In chapter #1018, Who's Who, one of Kaidou's top executives and a former member of the World's Government top-secret organization known as CP9, revealed that he was sent to prison as a punishment for failing to protect the Gomu Gomu no Mi from being stolen. In chapter #1037, the Gorosei (the leader of the World Government) are discussing the development on Wano Island, and they talk about a mysterious Devil Fruit that the Government tried to obtain for centuries, a legend that they were so scared of that they hid its true name. Fans connected this revelation to Who's Who's words, and speculated that this mysterious Devil Fruit was in fact the Gomu Gomu no Mi. Theories about its true powers and the reason it was hidden flourished, but the truth was revealed only in chapter #1044.
While jailed, Who's Who heard from a guard about "Sun God Nika", a legendary warrior from the past that slaves used to pray to for deliverance from their suffering. No one, however, imagined that Nika could be the actual model for Luffy's fruit, a Mythical Zoan type called Hito Hito no Mi (Human Human Fruit), similar to the one eaten by his crewmate Chopper. Mythical Zoan Devil Fruits allow the user to transform into a legendary animal, like Kaido can transform into a dragon. The full extent and scope of Luffy's abilities still have to be revealed, as the Gorosei say that they are limited only by its user's imagination. Luffy "awakened" the fruit, entering his Gear Fifth form, meaning he is now able to access its full powers. From what little was seen in this chapter, and from Luffy's drastic change in appearance and demeanor (which seems rather cartoonish), it is clear that there is still much more hidden behind "Sun God Nika", and it's all probably connected to the history of this mythical figure.
In fact, this was not the only major revelation in One Piece's recent history. Luffy was also revealed to be Joy Boy, an enigmatic but key figure from the ancient past of One Piece's world. This means that Joy Boy, Nika, and Luffy's Devil Fruit are all connected, making chapter #1044 a landmark in the history of the manga. If Luffy's new abilities will let him finally defeat Kaido, fans of One Piece will probably, at long last, get a full explanation of many of the driving mysteries behind the best-selling manga in history.