Nika was a legendary, possibly mythical warrior that was once revered as the Sun God by slaves from ancient times. He was only recently introduced in the One Piece series, but he is extremely important.
Nika was first mentioned by Who’s-Who, who heard about the legend from a prison guard during his imprisonment by the World Government. Who’s Who was imprisoned 13 years ago for failing to protect the Gomu Gomu no Mi. He sought refuge in Nika the Sun God, who was considered a savior figure by the slave population.
According to the legend heard by Who’s-Who, Nika was a heroic, benevolent figure who was a friend to slaves. It was said that Nika would one day come for the slaves to liberate them from their oppressive masters and bring smiles to their faces.
Who’s Who asked Jinbei if the fishmen had any association with Nika. Technically speaking, Fisher Tiger may fit the description, as he freed the slaves of Mary Geoise and was the first captain of the Sun Pirates. But Jinbei was greatly offended by the slavery implications, so he decided to knock out the former CP9 agent instead.
Sun God Nika , in my opinion, is actually Joy Boy, and Nika is merely another name for this incredibly significant figure. Joy Boy appears to be a label rather than a person, based on what we know about him. Because Joy Boy was such a significant figure in ancient times, it’s not strange if he goes by several names, one of which is Nika. Joy Boy is also associated with the dawn, and this Nika figure is referred to as the Sun God.
The concept of a Sun God is very common across several real world cultures. Because of the sun’s importance to life as a whole, most solar deities were often recognized as symbols of power and prosperity.
Some cultures within the world have been shown worshiping the sun or a deity related to it:
– Mousse of the ancient Shandia tribe from 400 years ago once mentioned that she would “meet the sun god” after her sacrifice. The snake Kashigami, which the Shandia worshiped, had “God of the Sun” as one of its multiple titles.
– Otohime, the late queen of Fish-Man Island, had a profound admiration for the sun, frequently using it as a symbol that Fish-Men and Merfolk had to strive for.
– The giants of Elbaf celebrate the death and rebirth of the sun through the Winter Solstice Festival.
– Nika is another name for Nike, the Greek goddess of victory.
