The legend of Joy Boy in One Piece is one of the most important, as it turned out recently (initially, we must admit that it didn't seem too important, although he is part of the lore). Since the legend of Joy Boy is linked to him, in this article, we will – once again – talk about Zunesha, the giant elephant who made his return in the latest episodes of One Piece. Zunesha came to Wano Country to help Momonosuke, but not only that, there, he finally heard the Drums of Liberation after so many years, and this made him realize that Joy Boy was in front of him. So, what are these Drums of Liberation and why are they so important? Keep reading to find out!

The Drums of Liberation are a symbolic name for a specific heartbeat that Zunesha would hear once Joy Boy returned. They don't actually exist, nor are they actual drums, so their name is purely symbolic. However, the beat Zunesha hears sounds more like a drum than a heartbeat, which is why they were named that way. The Drums of Liberation herald Joy Boy's return, and this proves true when Luffy reveals himself to be Joy Boy.

The rest of this article will focus on Zunesha's relationship with Joy Boy and her role in identifying the legendary warrior, as we explain what happened in Wano Country and what the enigmatic Drums of Liberation have to do with the legend of Joy Boy. We'll also give you some background on the story and relevant developments in Wano Country. If you're not fully up to date with the One Piece manga and anime, we recommend you be careful how you approach this article, as there are spoilers ahead.

The Drums of Liberation is a rhythm, but there are no actual drums involved.

To fully explain the Drums of Liberation, we must first tell you about the legend of Joy Boy, as the Drums of Liberation are tied to this legend. About a thousand years ago, the giant elephant Zunesha was born. During the infamous Void Century, Zunesha became friends and partners with Joy Boy, a legendary warrior from history who is said to have the powers of the sun god Nika and bring liberation to the people of the fictional Oda universe. The two seemed quite close, and legend has it that Zunesha is actually the only one who can immediately recognize Joy Boy when he sees him and hears the Drums of Liberation.

This is why Zunesha's arrival in Wano was so important and why we decided to discuss it here. But let's talk a little about Joy Boy before getting into that part of the story.

The legend of Joy Boy is tied to the history of Fish-Man Island. Joy Boy himself was first mentioned in the Sea Forest Poneglyph as the one who delivered Noah to Fish-Man Island 900 years ago, and the Poneglyphs were invented 800 years ago when he wrote his apology. This would imply that Joy Boy was real and had global influence for over a century. One Piece once belonged to Joy Boy, at least in part. The people of Fish-Man Island promised Joy Boy about 900 years ago. He gave them Noah, who would one day play a pivotal role. However, it seems that Joy Boy was unable to keep his word.

The inhabitants of Fish-Man Island pledged to protect Noah until a specific day. Joy Boy apologized to Poseidon in a letter found in the aforementioned poneglyph for not fulfilling his end of the contract. At some point, Joy Boy left behind some of the wealth that would later be known as One Piece when he sailed to the last island in the Grand Line. More than once, Joy Boy's image has been depicted as a title eager to be released into the world to bring liberation once again. Oden has stated that he plans to open Wano Country "before Joy Boy arrives."

But even though Joy Boy was a real person, it was also a title, and the identity of the current Joy Boy has been debated for some time, as King assumed that Kaidou could be the new Joy Boy, while promising to change the world. But Zunesha's arrival in Wano Country finally settled the debate and revealed that it wasn't Kaidou, but rather Luffy, who was the current Joy Boy. Here's what happened!

As Zunesha continued to wander the waterways of the New World, a region that includes the country of Wano, he observed a large marine fleet led by Admiral Ryokugyu en route to Wano, and Zunesha observed them as he headed towards the waters of Wano. As soon as she saw them, Zunesha used the Voice of All Things, a unique method of communication between animals and inanimate objects, to alert Momonosuke of the circumstance and offer her assistance.

Despite Zunesha's lack of combat prowess, his stature and inherent strength still made him a useful friend. He informed Momonosuke that he would fight for him, but this required him to clear the seas of Wano, which he ultimately did, allowing Zunesha to enter Wano Country and support the alliance. While not essential, his contribution benefited the alliance. However, as mentioned, his assistance in battle was not his greatest contribution because once he entered Wano Country, Zunesha heard the drums of liberation, which helped him identify Luffy as the current Joy Boy.

So, what are these enigmatic Liberation Drums? Well, as you might assume, they aren't actual drums, as there were no drummers around Luffy when he seemingly died after being seemingly defeated by Kaidou.

The Drums of Liberation are therefore the name of a specific heartbeat that Zunesha can hear once Joy Boy is present. It is unknown if Joy Boy's heart beats like this or if Zunesha's heart produces this sound, but since some fan theories suggest that the drums have been heard before (but Zunesha wasn't there to identify them), it could very well be that Joy Boy's heart produces these specific beats.

Regardless, the Liberation Drums produce a unique sound that cannot be confused with anything else, and Zunesha is eventually able to hear and identify them, confirming Luffy's identity in that regard. Momonosuke had apparently also heard them, but he didn't know what the rhythm meant, so Zunesha was ultimately the only one who could identify Joy Boy, and the Liberation Drums were essential to confirming this.

This is why they are so important in history, and this is actually why we decided to write this article and explain everything to you here.