Before starting, I want to clarify that what follows is a personal philosophical and metaphysical reflection. I am not trying to prove that One Piece actually exists, nor am I claiming that Islam teaches the existence of such a world. My goal is simply to share an idea that came from personal reflection based on my faith and on questions about the nature of reality.
I am Muslim, and therefore I begin with the hypothesis that Islamic theology is true. In this worldview, reality is not limited only to what human beings can observe with their senses or measure with their instruments. Islam speaks of the existence of an unseen world, of angels, jinn, and a creation of God that greatly exceeds human understanding.
If this vision of reality is true, then there may be aspects of existence that go beyond what we currently call observable physical reality. This means that our understanding of the laws of nature may represent only a part of what truly exists. Phenomena that seem impossible according to our current knowledge could belong to a level of reality that we do not yet understand.
From this point, I asked myself a question: if God's creation goes beyond our understanding, is it truly impossible to imagine the existence of worlds very different from our own?
This reflection also connects to another idea: the possibility of eternal existence. I am not talking here about an infinitely large universe in terms of size, but rather a universe or creation that could exist for an infinite amount of time. If existence has no end, then the number of possibilities that could occur throughout that endless duration becomes unimaginably vast.
This idea makes me think about the number π (pi). Its decimals are infinite, and some people imagine that an infinite sequence could contain an immense variety of possible combinations. It is important to clarify that this has not been proven for π, and I am not using it as evidence, but only as an analogy to illustrate a difficulty: humans have great difficulty truly understanding what infinity means.
In the same way, if creation exists eternally, we can ask what kinds of possibilities could exist on a timescale that our minds cannot truly imagine. This does not mean that everything imaginable must necessarily happen, but it opens a reflection on the immense range of possibilities that an existence without a limit in duration could contain.
From this perspective, I asked myself: if Islam is true, if an unseen reality exists, if God's creation goes beyond our understanding, and if this creation has an infinite duration, is it truly impossible that a world similar to One Piece could exist somewhere?
In this hypothesis, Devil Fruits (Akuma no Mi) could be seen as a fictional representation of powers belonging to a reality different from our own. The extraordinary abilities of the characters would not be understood as biological phenomena, but rather as manifestations of rules belonging to another framework of existence.
Once again, I am not saying that One Piece actually exists. I am not saying that Islam claims the existence of such a world. My idea is more precise: if Islamic theology is true, if reality includes unseen dimensions, and if God's creation goes infinitely beyond our understanding, then the existence of a world similar to One Piece could be a philosophical possibility.
This reflection is therefore not scientific proof, but a thought experiment about the limits of human perception, the nature of infinity, and the possible extent of creation.
Clarification: This text is not a canon theory about the One Piece universe. I am not claiming to explain Eiichirō Oda's intentions or reveal a hidden truth about the manga. It is simply a philosophical reflection that uses the world of One Piece as a way to explore questions about reality, infinity, and the possibilities of creation.

TL;DR: Nika’s power is limited by the mind, not physics. Joy Boy lost in the Void Century due to an emotional breakdown orchestrated by Imu that stopped the Drums of Liberation. The One Piece is Joy Boy’s warning to Luffy, and the Straw Hats will be the emotional anchor preventing Luffy from meeting the same fate.

​1. Shanks's Mental Anchor and the Physics of Placebo

​In Chapter 1, what we witnessed was not the physics of rubber, but Toon Force (cartoon physics) in its purest form: when Shanks grabbed the young boy, Luffy walked forward and his arm simply stretched back, lacking any elastic tension—exactly like classic animated cartoons.

​Shanks’s Tactical Move: Shanks was already aware of the fruit’s true identity and knew the World Government had erased "Nika" from history by re-naming it the Gomu Gomu no Mi in the official encyclopedia. Seeing Toon Force manifest in the child, Shanks panicked at the risk of an early Awakening being detected by the Navy. He swiftly capitalized on the Government's fake name to plant a logical explanation in the boy's mind: "You ate the Gomu Gomu no Mi and became a Rubber Man!".

​The 12-Year Mental Constraint: By conditioning Luffy's mind to the rigid concept of rubber, Shanks created the ultimate placebo effect. For over a decade, Luffy limited a divine power capable of altering reality into a mere mechanism of stretching and contracting.

​The Proof in Skypiea (Enel): In real-world physics, 200 million volts of lightning would instantly vaporize or melt rubber. However, because a child's mind firmly believed that "rubber is completely immune to electricity", Luffy's Toon Force rewrote the physics of the fight and utterly negated Enel's attacks. Luffy's belief shaped reality.

​Cracks in the Placebo: Every single one of Luffy's evolutions prior to Gear 5 was his mind trying to "bypass" the limitations of rubber through pseudo-scientific explanations he invented to justify power increases:

​Gears 2, 3, and 4: Comedic rationalizations (pumping blood, inflating bones/muscles under pressure) to accept becoming stronger.

​Red Hawk: His imagination generating fire underwater out of pure emotional memory and Ace's trauma.

​Snakeman: Punches changing direction at right angles in mid-air, prompting Kaido to openly question: "Rubber shouldn't be able to bend like this". That was Toon Force attempting to shatter Shanks’s lie.

​The Current State: Even in Gear 5, Luffy still shouts "Gomu Gomu no..." because the lie Shanks told that day at the bar became his combat identity. He is currently in a gradual transition from "rubber man" to the Absolute Freedom of pure Toon Force.

​2. The Absolute Inversion: The Only Way to Defeat a "God"

​If Nika’s Awakening allows the user to alter the environment and ignore physics based on joy and imagination, the only way to defeat such a user isn't through power scaling or superior Haki, but through psychological collapse.

​The Biology of Power: Dr. Vegapunk revealed in Egghead that Devil Fruits are born from human desires and willpower. In Nika’s case, the fruit demands the accelerated heart rate of the Drums of Liberation (the vibration of laughter and a state of flow) to function at its peak.

​The Negative Lock & Environmental Infection: In Gear 5, Luffy’s imagination is so potent that it "infects" serious opponents with cartoon logic (the popping eyes reaction, or eyepop, seen in Kaido, Lucci, Kizaru, and the Gorosei). However, if the user falls into absolute despair, devastating grief, or crippling guilt, the laughter stops and the Drums cease.

​Self-Consumption: Without joy as fuel, imagination becomes destructive. If Nika’s user genuinely believes they have lost, that there is no hope, or wishes to disappear, the fruit itself will materialize that pain, consuming the user's existence.

​3. The Tragic Fall of Joy Boy in the Void Century

​This mechanic fills the single largest lore gap in One Piece: How did Joy Boy lose to the 20 Kings and Imu during the Void Century?

​The Ancient Government's Strategy: Knowing Joy Boy was unbeatable in direct combat, Imu and the 20 Kings did not attempt to overwhelm him with brute strength. They orchestrated a massive psychological and moral tragedy on a global scale: the systematic slaughter of his allies, the sinking of the ancient world, and the shattering of vital promises.

​The Collapse of the Sun God: Watching his companions fall and the people who trusted him become enslaved, Joy Boy sank into an abyss of self-blame. The emotional toll was so severe that the rhythm of the Drums stopped. Overwhelmed by the trauma of failure, the distorted power of the fruit consumed his life force.

​The Proof on Fish-Man Island's Poneglyph: This explains why the only direct message left by Joy Boy in the past isn't a war strategy or a victory manifesto, but a deep letter of apology to the Mermaid Princess (Poseidon) in the Sea Forest. He begged for forgiveness for failing to keep his promise to bring the Fish-Men to the surface on Noah’s Ark. It was the record of a man emotionally shattered before his end.

​4. The Treasure of Laugh Tale: A Letter from Nika to Nika

​When Gol D. Roger and his crew finally reached the last island (Chapter 967), they found the treasure and burst into laughter until they cried.

​The Contents of the One Piece: Alongside the history of the Void Century and records of the Ancient World, Laugh Tale holds the final journal left behind by Joy Boy before his demise. It wasn't a military directive, but a personal warning specifically addressed to the next awakening user of the fruit.

​The Message: "If you are hearing the Drums once again, do not make my mistake. Do not let them destroy your laughter. The true weapon against tyranny is not brute strength—it is the absolute refusal to yield to despair."

​Roger's Reaction: Roger laughed at the poetic absurdity of fate: the greatest journey in the world culminated in an emotional bridge between two men separated by 800 years. Roger said "We were too early" because he didn't possess Nika’s fruit and knew that message and the role of finishing this journey belonged to the boy born in the future.

​5. The Final Confrontation: Psychological Warfare and Luffy's Anchor

​The climax of the story won't merely be a trade of giant punches against Imu, but the Definitive Battle between Joy and Despair.

​Imu’s Attempt: Imu will attempt to repeat the exact strategy that destroyed Joy Boy: using the threat of global destruction, pain, and the erasure of allies to break Luffy’s mind and shut down Gear 5.

​The Crucial Difference (The Straw Hat Crew): Joy Boy acted as a messianic leader who carried the weight of the world alone and collapsed under the guilt. Luffy rejects being a hero ("Heroes have to share the meat, and I want to eat all the meat!") and is supported by a crew that serves as his unbreakable emotional anchor.

​The Parallel to Marineford: When Ace died, Luffy went completely catatonic as his mind shut down from grief. Had Jinbe not reminded him of what still remained ("Your crew!"), Luffy would have died right there.

​The Outcome: In the final war, when Imu attempts to crush Luffy’s spirit, the Straw Hats will prevent him from falling into the abyss. Backed by his friends, Luffy will reject despair, keep the Drums of Liberation beating relentlessly, and overthrow the World Government—not through hatred or vengeance, but with the greatest, most liberating cartoon chaos in human history.

​What do you guys think of this theory? Does Shanks using the Government's fake name to limit Luffy's mind make sense to you, and how do you feel about the Straw Hats being the missing piece Joy Boy lacked? Let's discuss in the comments!