4 Theories: What if Blackbeard is the Dark Creature on the left? Perhaps the Buccaneers had the ability to create Devil Fruits through their sacrifices. Luffy is literally Joyboy and a Bonus one.
Theory 1: Blackbeard is the true antagonist of the story.
Blackbeard might be a unique being, potentially a creature whose race allows them to wield multiple Devil Fruit powers. The "three lights" we see could represent the three different powers (Devil Fruits) he controls. His head is always covered in every image, suggesting he may have once had horns that he removed, possibly as part of his transformation. Similarly, his wings may have been part of his original form, explaining why we never see him shirtless haha.
It’s possible that Blackbeard belongs to a rare race—perhaps a Lunarian—whose abilities were coveted by the World Government. They may have wiped out his kind after discovering their power, but Blackbeard survived, and now he’s the last of his race. This could also explain why the Seraphim use Lunarian DNA to get and use Devil Fruit Powers, as the World Government might be seeking to recreate or harness the powers of this mysterious race.
Theory 2: Buccaneer's Ability. Now the things that Made me think the most is this.
Touching the Forbidden Sun likely refers to technology or powers that were never meant to be tampered with. The enslaved, many of whom were likely Buccaneers, may have discovered a way to generate a new kind of power through it, The Devil Fruits.
In the image above, we see Buccaneers dying with their ideals and dreams, only to return with powerful Devil Fruits, their dreams and aspirations manifesting in these forms.
This could be what Vegapunk was alluding to when he mentioned that the Buccaneers were remarkable. At one point, they were the ones who created Devil Fruits—transforming their hopes and dreams into tangible, eternal power.
Now Revisiting my oldest Theory
Theory 3 : Joyboy is Luffy
https://www.reddit.com/r/OnePiece/comments/yndzsc/crazy_theory_i_have_had_for_a_while_time_travel/
that got a lot of hate and then I revisited
and got even more hate
I am doing it again. this time a little bit more simpler with some things that support it. and some things to see if it makes sense. It is a little long but let me cook.
My theory begins just before the Void Century, offering an organic way to explore what happened during that time without relying on a flashback.
Lily is walking through a garden, eating a strange, clock-shaped fruit. Suddenly, two figures appear right in front of her. One is Luffy, badly beaten up, and next to him lies the body of a dead woman, around 36 years old.
Luffy wakes up and sees Lily. At first, he mistakes her for Vivi but quickly realizes she’s someone else, as Lily is older (around 25 years old). Confused and disoriented, Luffy has no idea where he is or how he got there. However, Lily, being highly intelligent, begins to piece together the situation. She explains to Luffy that they are on top of a massive elephant named Zunesha, which is heading toward the Ancient Kingdom. This kingdom is hosting a gathering of the world’s largest nations to share technological advancements and showcase their latest discoveries.
Despite being injured, Luffy remains his usual cheerful self, laughing and recovering quickly after eating. Lily, amused by his carefree attitude, suggests that he shouldn’t use his real name if he’s from the future. Since his laughter brings her joy, she decides to call him “Joyboy” and asks him to go by that name during their time together.
When they arrive at the Ancient Kingdom, the nations unveil something extraordinary: they’ve discovered that the Buccaneer race possesses a unique ability. Even after death, a Buccaneer’s greatest desires continue to exist. Through a newly developed process, these desires can be transformed into a fruit. When someone eats the fruit, they inherit the Buccaneer’s greatest desire, granting them incredible powers. But the Buccaneer dies in the process of course.
Lily is horrified when she realizes the implications—they are essentially killing people to harvest their desires for power. While the other nations are in awe and eager to obtain this power, there’s a catch: only the people of the Ancient Kingdom can hold more than one of these powers at a time. Everyone else is limited to just one.
Certain parts need some work and I will mark as spoiler so you can skip them
Since Joyboy (Luffy) only knows the life of a pirate, he naturally becomes one again, setting out to recreate his original crew. Without Franky, he enlists Emeth in his place. To avoid recognition and a potential bounty, he decides to wear an eye patch as a disguise in case anyone takes a picture.
Some of the engineers who designed Pluton assist Joyboy in stealing it, while allies from Wano help hide it. Luffy and Lily then set sail for Alabasta, where Lily intends to reveal the truth to her people—that she was never truly aligned with the 20 kingdoms, but had been spying on them all along, much like Vivi did.
However, their journey takes a drastic turn when their ship is ambushed. During the attack, Lily is shot in the leg, and the shock triggers her Devil Fruit ability unknowingly. As a result, both she and Luffy are suddenly thrown ten years into the future.
Void Century Officially begins
Joyboy's message begins to gain widespread support among slaves and oppressed races, all seeking the freedom they were long denied. His words and presence inspire people to rise up and fight—even in his absence, his allies continue the battle.
Meanwhile, the 20 kingdoms strategize on how to assert total control over the world and the Devil Fruits. With remnants of ancient technology still fueling wars across multiple regions, they decide to take an extreme, conservative approach—resetting everything to its previous state.
But how do you defeat a man proclaiming himself the Sun God while also waging war against a kingdom armed with advanced technology? Drastic measures must be taken.
(At this point, I'm unsure of the exact sequence of events, but I imagine this is where Imu takes control. She forces someone to consume the Ope Ope no Mi to grant her immortality. Additionally, she possesses a power that allows her to link five beings to herself, making them immortal and bestowing them with unique abilities. This is also where Imu manipulates Zunesha, forcing the great elephant to betray Joyboy by preventing it from guiding the Noah Ark.)
The 20 kingdoms annihilate the Lunarians and destroy their city atop the Red Line. In its place, they establish Mariejois, declaring themselves the Celestial Dragons.
Luffy and Lily arrive ten years into the Void Century. Lily quickly realizes that the future cannot be changed—everything that has happened from the moment Luffy arrived in the past until now is set in stone.
It is during this time that Joyboy carves the Poneglyph for the Fishmen, apologizing and promising that he will return in 800 years. Meanwhile, Lily begins creating the Poneglyphs to preserve the true history, as the World Government is using this era to erase any remnants that could inspire future rebellion.
I like to imagine that the ancient mural was actually drawn by Luffy himself—his crude scribbles meant to explain the events before and during the Void Century. Also what was happening right before he was taken to the past. In the future, people mistake it for a child’s doodles, not realizing it holds vital information.
Before leaving, Joyboy tells Emeth that his presence will be needed in the future and places a Haki-infused "knot" within him as a safeguard. Then, Joyboy and Lily bid farewell to his crew, celebrating with them one last time as they look forward to a brighter future.
As Joyboy and Lily make their final time jump, a Buccaneer deeply wishes for the return of the Sun God. In his desperation, he sacrifices himself, giving birth to the Hito Hito no Mi: Model Nika.
The Next Time Jump
Luffy and Lily reappear 600 or so years into the future. They travel to the ruins of the Ancient Kingdom and discover that some of its systems are still functional but lack power. To reactivate them, Luffy enters Gear 5, unleashing his energy and Haki to restore the system.
On the other side of the world, Emeth awakens. Sensing Luffy’s energy, he believes Joyboy has returned, triggering the battle he was programmed to be ready for. Without hesitation, he begins his march toward Mariejois, launching an attack on the Celestial Dragons.
Meanwhile, Luffy returns to normal as the system powers up. Within the ruins, they find the machine capable of creating the Mother Flame, but it will take centuries to fully charge and become usable.
Recognizing the need to pass down this knowledge, Toki and Luffy travel to Wano in secret. They request the creation of new red Poneglyphs, this time engraving the coordinates of the Ancient Kingdom ruins, ensuring that future generations can one day uncover the truth.
I would like to think that at some point here Luffy meets young Roger and give him a Straw hat (not the one he is wearing but a new one, that would later become the one he is wearing)
They make another jump to the future, and by this time, Lily is 26 years old. However, something goes wrong during the jump—Lily arrives alone, separated from Luffy for an unknown reason.
Lily eventually crosses paths with Oden and Whitebeard, adopting the name Toki to hide her true identity. Years later, they encounter Roger, and she joins his crew, traveling alongside them. At one point, Toki falls ill—or perhaps she pretends to—forcing Oden to accompany Roger to Laugh Tale. Deep down, she avoids going herself, fearing she might meet Luffy there.
When the Roger Pirates finally reach Laugh Tale, they are shocked to find Luffy waiting for them. He greets them warmly, introducing himself as Joyboy. Luffy shares incredible revelations about the world—not only its past but also its future. He reveals that in the future, Roger will create the greatest era of all—the Age of Pirates—and become a living legend.
Joyboy speaks fondly of Shanks, calling him his hero, and shares stories of Garp taking care of him, as well as how he came to possess the Devil Fruit. Touched by these tales, Roger starts to believe that Joyboy might be his own son—though in reality, he doesn’t have one...yet.
Joyboy then declares his grand vision—to destroy the world as everyone knows it, dismantle the World Government, and set everyone free. He shares his ultimate dream—a dream that resonates deeply with Roger, as it mirrors his own.
And that is how this happens
Roger wishes he had lived during the Era of Joyboy, not only because he believes he's his son but also because it was a time of pirates! He also feels like he arrived too early, as the Mother Flame and the final great war won’t occur for a few more decades.
I would like to believe that before leaving, Luffy had one last thing to do—in the two years he spent on the island, he filled it with special treasures meant for his future crew. He prepared a fridge stocked with food for Sanji, booze for Zoro, medical supplies for Chopper, gold for Nami, and countless other surprises tailored to each Straw Hat’s dream and personality. Whether or not they ever make it to Laugh Tale, their captain had already thought of them—even across time.
Right after this, Joyboy joins Roger and shares more with him. Meanwhile, Luffy makes one final trip to Wano, asking Toki to send him to the future once more.
Roger then meets a young Shanks and reveals to him that he is, in fact, a Celestial Dragon. Shanks is overwhelmed with emotion and cries. Roger goes on to tell Shanks that his son will become the next Pirate King, and not only that—Shanks will be the one to mentor him. After Roger’s death, Shanks must grow stronger, and eventually, he’ll travel to an island where his son will be living. On this island, Shanks will confront a Marine ship that is transporting a Fruit, which he must leave behind for his son to eat. This explains why Shanks stayed there for so long and why he was so upset when Luffy ate the fruit—it was never supposed to be Luffy, but Ace who was meant to inherit it.
Shanks, in giving up his arm to save Luffy, was gambling on him, which makes his celebration when Luffy earns his first bounty make more sense. It also explains why the Roger Pirates treat Luffy so kindly when they first meet him—they recognize that he is Joyboy, or at least a younger version of him.
Roger, determined to ensure his legacy, finds a woman to have his child. Months later, he's captured, and in his final moments, he asks Garp to take care of his son. Strangely, Roger knows it will be a son, though the reason remains a mystery. He trusts Garp to care for him, confident he’ll do so with honor. Since Joyboy told him about it.
Meanwhile, Toki, just before her death, sends the samurai to the future. As the flames engulf her, it hits her: she recalls the day she met Luffy and the dying woman she once saw. It was her, wearing the same kimono and bearing the same scar—though the realization might come when Oden sees her scar, and she reacts in shock. Toki disappears into the flames, and her body is never found.
Other things happen..... THat have happened wano, egghead, elbaph, etc..
The final battle rages on. Luffy, now in old man mode, is exhausted. He’s given everything he has, but no matter what he tries, he can't defeat Blackbeard—his power just isn’t enough. The weight of the fight drags him down, and it seems as though all hope is lost.
Then, suddenly, Toki appears right in front of him. Her eyes glow white, and for the first time, she awakens her fruit. Time itself seems to bend as she unlocks her true power. In that moment, Luffy disappears from sight, and for a heartbeat, everything stills.
Then, almost immediately, Luffy reappears—slightly older, but immeasurably stronger. A surge of power flows through him, and the fatigue that once plagued him vanishes. His body feels renewed, his resolve stronger than ever. He’s been given a second chance, a final transformation to overcome the impossible odds before him. This time, he’s ready to take on Blackbeard with his massive crew.
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Now I know people will hate this Theory mainly because it plays with the idea of time loops and the consequences of breaking them. Here's how you could frame it:
Before the existence of the Toki Toki no Mi, there was no power to manipulate time. It was impossible to travel to any point before the moment the fruit first came into being. This means Luffy, when he’s taken to the past, can only appear at the moment Lily eats the fruit—because that’s when the time loop begins. Toki herself ceases to exist the moment she uses her fruit to send Luffy back in time, making time travel impossible after that event.
Once Lily eats the fruit, the time loop is set into motion, with prophecies and events existing within that loop. Everything that follows, including Luffy's journey, is bound by the cycle of time created by the fruit's powers. But when Luffy is finally sent to the future one last time, the loop breaks. No longer bound by the constraints of time manipulation, the future becomes unwritten. No one knows what will happen, and the story can now unfold in ways that are no longer dictated by the past or the fruit’s power.
The moment Toki's influence is gone, the future becomes a blank slate—a realm where fate is no longer a predefined cycle. The loop is broken, and the journey continues in an unpredictable direction, free from the constraints of time that once shaped it.
Theory 4 (Bonus)
World 1: "They will never meet" refers to the East and West Seas, separated forever by the Red Line, known as the Serpent of Fire. This line serves as an unyielding barrier, preventing the two seas from ever crossing paths.
World 2: "They will never meet again" speaks to the North and South Seas, which too are destined to remain apart. The creation of the Grand Line, sparked by the Sea God’s storm, ensured that these seas could never converge, with the Grand Line acting as an unbreachable divide.
World 3: "They will surely meet" is a hopeful prophecy, pointing to the All Blue, where the sun will rise once more, bringing a new dawn.
Edit: Added some more screens from the Manga