One Piece: What Are the Drums of Liberation & Why Are They So Important?

The legend of Joy Boy in One Piece is one of the most important ones, as it turned out recently (initially, we have to admit that this did not seem to be overly important, despite being part of the lore). Since the legend of Joy Boy is tied to him, in this article, we are going to – once again – talk about Zunesha, the giant elephant who made a return in the most recent One Piece episodes. Zunesha came to Wano Country to help Momonosuke, but not only that, while there, he finally heard the Drums of Liberation after so many years, and it 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 is a symbolic name for a specific heartbeat that Zunesha would hear once Joy Boy returned. They do not actually exist, nor are they actual drums, so the name is purely symbolic. But, the beat heard by Zunesha is more like the beat of a drum than a heart, which is why they were named like that. The Drums of Liberation herald Joy Boy’s return, and this proves to be true when Luffy is revealed to be Joy Boy.

The rest of this article will focus on Zunesha’s relationship with Joy Boy and his role in identifying the legendary warrior, as we will explain what happened in Wano Country and what the enigmatic Drums of Liberation have to do with the legend of Joy Boy. We will tell you some information about the story and the relevant developments in Wano Country. If you’re not completely up-to-date with the One Piece manga and anime, we advise you to be careful how you approach this article, as there are going to be spoilers present.

The Drums of Liberation are a beat, but there are no actual drums involved

In order to explain the Drums of Liberation as a whole, we first have to tell you about the legend of Joy Boy, as the Drums of Liberation are tied to that legend. Approximately a thousand years ago, the giant elephant Zunesha was born. During the infamous Void Century, Zunesha became the friend and partner of Joy Boy, a legendary warrior from history who is said to have the powers of the Sun God Nika and will bring liberation to the peoples of Oda’s fictional universe. The two of them seemed to be quite close, and the legend says 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 us discuss Joy Boy a bit before we get to 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. The One Piece had formerly belonged to Joy Boy, at least in part. The people of Fish-Man Island pledged Joy Boy some nine hundred years ago. He gave them Noah, which one day would play an elemental role. It appears, though, that Joy Boy could not maintain his word.

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

But, while Joy Boy was an actual person, it was also a title, and the identity of the current Joy Boy has been discussed for some time, as King assumed that Kaidou could be the new Joy Boy, as he promised 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 is the current Joy Boy. Here is what happened!

As Zunesha continued to wander the waterways of the New World, a region that includes Wano Country, he observed a large a Marine fleet led by Admiral Ryokugyu that was on its way to Wano, and Zunesha observed them as he made his way to 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 to the circumstance and offer him his assistance.

Despite Zunesha’s lack of fighting prowess, his stature and inherent strength always made him a useful friend. He informed Momonosuke that he would fight for him, but it required him to clear the Wano seas, which he eventually did, allowing Zunesha to enter Wano Country and support the alliance. Although not essential, his input benefited the Alliance. But, as we’ve said, his fighting help wasn’t his biggest 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 Drums of Liberations? Well, as you might assume, they are not actual drums, as there were no drummers around Luffy when he seemingly died after seemingly being defeated by Kaidou.

The Drums of Liberation are, thus, the name of a specific heartbeat that Zunesha can hear once Joy Boy is present. It is unclear whether Joy Boy’s heart beats like that or if Zunesha’s own heart produces the sound, but since some fan theories suggest that the Drums have been heard before (but Zunesha was not there to identify them), it could very well be that Joy Boy’s heart produces these specific beats.

Be that as it may, the Drums of Liberation produce a unique sound that cannot be mistaken for anything else, and Zunesha is ultimately able to hear them and identify them, confirming Luffy’s identity in this aspect. Momonosuke also seemingly heard them, but he did not know what the beat meant, so Zunesha was, ultimately, the only one who could identify Joy Boy, and the Drums of Liberation were essential in confirming that.

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