The following article contains spoilers for anime-only fans of One Piece, for the Egghead arc.
Nowadays, One Piece is often connected to its longevity, spanning over 1,000 chapters, but for fans of the series, it is much more than that. Aside from its enduring popularity, the series is also known for having some of the most intricate storytelling in fiction, with some of its most essential puzzle pieces only coming together in recent chapters. With characters like Vegapunk finally gaining a face — despite being mentioned back in chapter 433 — the most mysterious parts of the One Piece lore are slowly being unveiled as the highest-grossing manga in Japan reaches its final legs.
While the anime may take some time to catch up to the events in the original literary counterpart, the manga has been teeming with information. From Kuma’s past and his connection with Bonney, to the defective SMILE fruits, fans have been properly fed in the last arc. In addition to all the pieces finally intertwining after two decades, one more essential figure in the story has made a swift comeback, and that is none other than Imu. In case you can’t recall who they are, worry not — we don’t know it, either, but here’s a quick breakdown of what the latest chapter has told us.
Who is Imu?
Very little is known about Imu, but what has already been unveiled is their status within the World Government. Imu is the ruler of the Empty Throne, bearing the highest sovereignty in the World government, which includes the Five Elders, who were believed to be the highest-ranking Celestial Dragons that ruled the World Government, and therefore, all the countries and the sea alike. Imu’s entire existence is kept a secret from the entire world — only the government, Sabo, and Doflamingo know of their sovereignty.
While their identity will likely only be revealed in the upcoming chapter — or even in the upcoming arc — Imu has finally made another surprise appearance in the story, leading to some possible speculation on who they are. In the latest chapter, 1084, the events at the Reverie were finally somewhat described, finally re-introducing Sabo to the narrative. Sabo’s endeavors at the Mary Goise led him to flee to Lulusia Kingdom, although his attempts of escape were to no avail.
The second in command intended to disclose Imu’s existence to the rest of the Revolutionary Army, which would cause chaos for their wish to completely dismantle the government. As Imu finally tracked Sabo’s whereabouts, the ruler annihilated the country of Lulusia, in an attempt to kill Sabo and avoid any information breach from his end, and thus the Lulusia Kingdom disappeared, and the Five Elders proclaimed it never existed at all.
Capable of mass destruction within seconds, Imu sits on the highest throne in the One Piece universe, with only a specific number of people aware of their existence. Given the current events, and all that occurred in the latest chapter, here are some of the most probable guesses for who might be sitting on the throne.
Who could Imu be?
You know what they say: A good character design is one which can be identified by its silhouette alone — and that’s exactly what Imu is. While undeniably impossible to pinpoint who they might be based on their appearance (especially because they might be someone who was never in the picture at all), Imu’s slim and imposing figure is enough to send chills even to the Five Elders who allegedly bow to no one. Regardless, there are still some possible theories as to who they might be.
It’s not an exact person, but Imu might just be a few centuries old. For one, Doflamingo already knew of Imu’s existence, well before any of us did. Considering his fascination for obtaining Law’s devil fruit — which grants immortal life to someone at the cost of the user’s life — it might just be that Doflamingo’s insatiable ambition led him to wish for the spot on the throne, much like its current resider. This would mean that perhaps, Imu was not only present at the Void Century events, but he was immortal throughout all of it — and perhaps more than a pawn in its midst.
Is Imu connected to Lili Nefertari?
Another obvious connection is that Imu is either Lili Nefertari or knew Lili. It is never a coincidence when specific information is finally unveiled in a chapter, and having Lili introduced alongside Imu’s growing presence, has led many fans (including myself) to believe that this sovereign ruler might actually be deeply connected with Lili. In the chapter, we discover that out of the 20 kingdom rulers, only 19 became Celestial Dragons, with the exception of Queen Lili of House Nefertari, who refused the status. It is also unveiled that she was the ancestor of the will of “D.,” which we all know holds a much more significant historical meaning than just being a name.
So, why is this being mentioned? Well, because Imu seems to have a particular fascination — or, let’s say, loathing — for all those carrying the D. name, especially as Imu is seen holding Luffy’s bounty poster as they look at the giant straw hat reminiscent of Luffy’s own possession. If Lili was Imu, that would mean she betrayed her entire family, but it would also justify the reason for her mysterious disappearance. On the other hand, if Imu knew Lili, they might have killed her for opposing their beliefs in the creation of the Celestial Dragons, thus starting the will of D.
As a personal theory — which may be nothing but wishful thinking — Imu might well be Oden’s late wife, Kizuki Toki. Hear me out, I know it’s unlikely, but I refuse to believe Toki’s devil fruit and mysterious time jump were just wasted on her execution. Moreover, aside from sending Momo and Hiyori, Toki might have sent herself to the future, instead of falling prey at the hands of Kaido and Orochi. I have no other reasons to back this theory aside from her fruit, but, well, everything is always a possibility with Oda.
All in all, it is practically impossible to predict what plans Oda has for the characters, but One Piece fans are known for always creating theories as their curiosity never ceases. Nonetheless, only time will tell who Imu is, and what their plans truly are. In the meantime, One Piece can be read on Viz or streamed on Crunchyroll.