Is Luffy The Direct Descendant of Joy Boy or His Reincarnation? One Piece Chapter 1188 Full Spoilers!

In the previous One Piece chapter, Sanji is about to awaken Conqueror’s Haki to fight against Rimushifu Killingham and Luffy activates Gear 5, beginning the 800-year rematch against Imu.

One Piece Chapter 1188 is titled, “Wailing Void”

This chapter has 19 pages, including the color spread.

One Piece receives the magazine cover to celebrate the manga’s 29th anniversary, as well as a color spread.

The magazine cover shows Luffy eating meat while wearing his Elbaph outfit.

This shows the Straw Hats underwater, with the centerpiece being a giant sea turtle with a crown that Luffy, Brook and Chopper are riding on.

Franky is dressed like a biker, driving a crab like a bike, with Robin behind him.

Since they are Devil Fruit users, Luffy and Robin’s side have resin bubbles, while Jinbe, who is a Fishman, Sanji and Nami, who are both non-Devil Fruit users, are swimming freely.

Editor’s note: “Recalling a certain day”

Is Luffy Joy Boy or just his Descendant

The chapter begins with Imu recalling the first time Joy Boy has met.

There seems to be mechanical buzzing, hinting that Imu or the place he is in…has a mechanical nature

We see absolutely nothing but darkness, except for Joy Boy’s smile.

We only see his smile.

And it looks just like Luffy.

Does this mean Luffy is his direct descendant or even his reincarnation?

Considering how the whole Elbaph arc shows Imu being haunted by his past, as evidenced by his ramblings in Chapter 1179, we could see this be the final form.

Rocks is a descendant of Davy D. Jones.

Loki has consumed Nidhogg, someone that Imu knows.

And if Luffy is disproven to be Joy Boy because of this chapter’s ending, we might end up seeing him truly be Joy Boy, either a descendant who fulfills the same part or even his reincarnation.

Two Lost Children of the World

The Twitter user Sandman brings up the nuances in their speech.

Both Imu and Joy Boy speak like children, but they speak in opposite ways, with Joy Boy being more casual and rougher while Imu sounds polite.

However, Joy Boy uses the word “respond” or “come in” to beckon Imu, as if calling out to him from a distance.

The words “ōtō seyo” are normally formal and adult-like in Japanese but this uses hiragana instead of kanji, signifying the age of the speaker.

A child using adult words, something One Piece is mindful of since Oda views Luffy, aka the current Joy Boy, as the purest child.

The chapter also begins with the words “Respond” akin to Chapter 1108 and Vegapunk’s important broadcast, “Respond, World.”

So essentially, Vegapunk’s broadcast sets up Joy Boy’s own, the first to reach out to the world and it touched Imu first.

800 years later, Imu is now a lonely symbol of the world.

Furthermore, Joy Boy hesitates to reveal his true name or identity, suggesting that the name Joy Boy is merely a nickname, not his real one.

In the present, Imu says, “Joy Boy is already dead,” as if trying to convince himself.

A vein is visible on Imu’s forehead as he say it, showing intense emotion.

This may suggest that Imu’s feelings toward Joy Boy are not simply hatred but from a deeper attachment, possibly a broken friendship.

Luffy vs Imu

The Omen flames note that Luffy was able to dodge the punch.

Notice how Imu is able to extend his arms, akin to the rubbery properties of the Nika fruit?

Or at least extend the range of his punch with Omen flames?

Indeed, the Devil’s Fruit is the opposite of the Sun’s Fruit.

Furthermore, the speaking Omen flames directing attacks combines the features of Gunko’s Aro Aro no Mi, which force targets and even the user to follow a defined path, and Big Mom’s Soru Soru no Mi to give “life” to inanimate objects.

Luffy was able to withstand Imu’s punch to the head, even when he comes out singed.

Imu fires seeker bombs in the form of his Omen flames but Luffy deals with them with Jet Gatling and then Luffy unveils a new move called Gomu Gomu no Majin, turning himself into a genie.

Another similarity between the Nika and Devil’s Fruits is that they have “temporary modes” that exist as attacks.

For Luffy, Gear 5 creates temporary shapes, like Giant Luffy and Majin Luffy that are not fixed as say Gear 4’s Boundman, Tankman and Snakeman forms.

For Imu, this is in the form of Omen changing Imu’s glaive into various weapons and swords.

Furthermore, Luffy’s Gear 5 tends to reflect his foes.

Giant Luffy was a result of facing Kaido’s Zoan form while Luffy copied Imu, who is a Majin, which can beDemon God/Devil or magic person, and Majin is also a word that means genie in Japanese.

Jinbe Upscale!

Luffy says he saw the fight with Loki and refused to let his “death” be in vain, which leads to Loki complaining about that remark and to remind him that he is not dead.

Imu fires another blast of Omen but Jinbe comes in to block it with Arabesque Tile Punch.

Jinbe is holding up with this defensive role, proving his strength as part of the Straw Hats.

Jinbe offers to protect Loki as long as he orders it and Luffy thanks Jinbe for doing it as he considers Loki his buddy.

Brook is still confused since no one outranks the Five Elders in the Holy Knights organization.

They also see Princess Shuri finally thawed out of Ragnir’s ice.

The Crocodile Treatment

Luffy comes in to get the jump on Imu with Sucker Punching Bullet but Imu marks him with Omen flames like Loki last chapter and activates Stigma, which turns his weapon into a black flaming sword that extends fast and forces Luffy out of his larger Majin form.

As Luffy runs off, Imu converts his weapon into the Wailing Void sword, which drains the life out of the trees and they move away to allow Imu to move towards Imu

…

And stab him through!

Just as how Crocodile stabbed Luffy in their first battle.

Editor’s note: “The majestic power of the King of the world…!!”

There will be a BREAK NEXT WEEK.

One Piece Chapter 1189 will be released on July 27, 2026.

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