Chapter #1044 was the most anticipated in One Piece’s history, but did it deliver in terms of expectations and overall impact on the series?
Warning: contains spoilers for Chapter 1044 of One Piece
Chapter #1044 of One Piece was the most anticipated in the 25 years the manga has been around. It created a huge buzz on social media long before its release, and it did not disappoint in terms of reveals, as the truth about Luffy's powers was finally disclosed.
After receiving a deadly blow from Kaido, Luffy "awakened" his Devil Fruit, and its true form was revealed: it is a Mythical Zoan type, the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika (Human Human fruit, model Nika). Mythical Zoan can transform their users into creatures inspired by religion or mythology, and "Sun God Nika" is a mysterious figure from One Piece's past, a legendary warrior that slaves used to pray to. This revelation, connected to Zunesha's declaration that Luffy is, in fact, Joy Boy, means that the Straw Hat captain is connected to many mysteries that have their roots in the obscure past of his world.
In a surprising move, this chapter completely ignored the twist ending of the previous chapter, when Luffy was defeated by Kaido. While it was unexpected, it made sense because Kaido's defeat seemed too obvious, and it would have ruined the Wano arc's buildup. Also, after Luffy fell, an exhausted Kaido could have been defeated by the remaining forces of the alliance. This could have been a payoff for the entire arc, as the Wano people have been oppressed by Kaido for twenty years. Luffy's arrival kick-started the revolution, but if someone from Wano (like Momonosuke or one of the Nine Scabbards) had given Kaido the final blow, it would have felt extremely cathartic. Instead, readers will probably see Luffy beat Kaido with his new powers, which, after he has been defeated by him three times already, feels just like a classic shonen manga trope.
Finally, there is also an argument that connecting Luffy with a centuries-old "destiny", expressed by Joy Boy and Nika's legacy, feeds into the "chosen one" trope that too many mangas adopt. However, Luffy was actually depicted in that way from the beginning. Shanks, one of the Four Emperors, recognized his potential when he was a kid and motivated Luffy’s ambition. The first chapter literally ends with the caption “Luffy’s great voyage of destiny has begun!”. In this sense, the revelation in chapter #1044 was in line with the rest of the series, where Luffy has always been depicted as a liberator of the oppressed and someone who puts smiles on people's faces, just like Nika did according to the Elders.
Overall, chapter #1044 was not just the most anticipated, but also one of the most controversial ever. Luffy's "power-up" after being apparently defeated feels like a manga clichè, and it is clear that Oda is trying to wrap many mysteries up before the series approaches its ending. However, Luffy's connection to Nika and Joy Boy also feels right in terms of story coherence and overall development, which are two of the qualities that make One Piece such a great manga.
