The Sun God Nika was first mentioned officially in One Piece Chapter 1018 and officially revealed to us through Monkey D. Luffy's Devil Fruit Awakening in One Piece Chapter 1044 on March 22, 2022, in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #17. Ever since then, Nika has become an incredibly important part of the overarching lore of the One Piece world. Even now, in the climax of the Elbaf arc in One Piece Chapter 1190 on August 9, 2026, Nika's lore continues to expand.
