Summary
One Pieceis currently in the Egghead Island Arc, and given that this is the very beginning of the Final Saga, fans know that all the focus is now going to be put on the main villains of the story, that is, the Five Elders and those of the World Government, especially the ones sitting at the top, Saint Nerona Imu. In the Egghead Island arc, fans already got to see theFive Elders in battle.
This was a rather unpredictable turn of events that nobody expected. Instead, the Five Elders brought themselves over to Egghead simply to preventVegapunk’s message,which was addressed to the entire world, from coming out. Even though they tried their very best, they eventually failed, and in this message, Vegapunk confirmed a very big thing related to Saint Imu.
Who Is Saint Imu?
The World’s Mysterious Ruler Controls Things From The Shadows
St Imu was revealed firstduring the Four Emperors SagaofOne Piece. There, it was confirmed that the world had anEmpty Throne, which all the major kings and queens of the world swore fealty in front of. This was to ensure that all rulers were equal in the eyes of each other, that no one was above the other, and that thepower distribution in the world was even. However, immediately after the fans were introduced to this Empty Throne, Oda revealed that one individual actually sat atop it, and that person was none other thanSaint Imu. It was also revealed that Saint Imu had all the Five Elders under them, and these Elders catered to all of their needs. St Imu was also seen carryingLuffy’s bounty posterand, with that, visiting what would appear to be a cryogenic chamber at some place inside of Pangea Castle, where there lay a giant Straw Hat.
When the world as we know it was created 800 years ago, one of the first founders was Saint Imu of House Nerona.
Clearly, Saint Imu was arelic from the past.According to Ivankov, there existed a Saint Imu Nerona long ago. This Saint Imu was one of theFounding 20 of the World Government. However, now, the same person seems to have found themselves atop the Empty Throne. It is also believed thatSaint Imu is actually Immortaland that this power was acquired throughthe usage of the Ope Ope no Mi.There are a lot of things that are still mysterious about Saint Imu Nerona. However, what the fans know for sure is that this person is incontrol of the entire worldand might just be one of the most powerful individuals to have ever lived in theOne Pieceworld.
Imu’s Gender Seemingly Confirmed
Imu Is Heavily Implied To Be Male In Vegapunk’s Message
Ever since Imu was introducedin One Piece, fans have been wondering about whether this person is a man or a woman. In fact, there have been clues that fit either side. For one, Imu certainly doeslook like a womanin terms of appearance. Based on how Oda draws his male and female characters, fans were able to deduce that Imu’s appearance looks more like a woman. However, then, there is the fact that Imu is called theSaint instead of Saintess, which implies that Imu is truly male.
InOne Piecechapter 1114, Vegapunk implies that he knows about Imu’s existence, his identity, and what he has done to the world previously. However, Vegapunk does not know much about why Imu did what he did andwhat exactly he wanted. Vegapunk clearly mentioned that he doesn’t intend to chastise those who strike him down, given that he does not know enough about him, specifically referring to Imu, to begin with.
I will not apply labels of good and evil at all, in fact, because I understand too little abouthim, to begin with.
This might be something that the fans gloss over while reading the chapter, however, it holds great significance.Imu’s gender is very important,both for this particular character, as well as the story developing from here onwards. Given that Oda has seemingly gone for a male final villain, it will be interesting to see how his relationshipwith Saint Nefertari Lilywent sour and why he isobsessed with Vivito the point where he wants her at all costs.
Imu’s Past And What Comes Next
Imu’s Past Will Hold The Key To The Final War In One Piece
While Imu is seeminglyconfirmed to be malenow, it still leaves a door open for him actually being a woman in the One Piece world. It isn’t a surprise to see individuals moving from one body to another in the world of One Piece. This can especially be made possible using the Ope Ope no Mi. Fans already know that the Ope Ope no Mi is deeply linked to Imu. Someone in Imu’s personal guard had this power and Imu likely was made theKing of the Worldusing this ability. This person would likely then end up dying.
However, if need be, Imu would then be able toswap bodiesas well. If Imu wanted the body of, for instance, Saint Nefertari Lily, then he would be able to get the body. This also lines up with the fact that Nefertari Lily never actually reached Arabasta from Marijoa. Fans do not know what exactly happened to Lily and how she died. At the same time,all records of Saint Nerona Imu do not state him becoming the King of the World. It is likely that Imu’s actual fate is unknown. Given that both of these characters haveunknown fatesand a deeply linked connection, it could be possible forImu to actually be in Lily’s body,or in the body of someone else. This is simply because Imu’s appearance certainly does look like that of a woman.
This could have great significance in regards to Imu’s relationship with Lily and how the Vivi plot will go from here on. Thankfully, Vegapunk is likely going to reveal some more details about Imu as the story continues, and from there onwards, fans will likely get to explore a fewmore secrets of Imuand the World Government in the final Saga.
Of course, there is still a long way to go before Oda reveals Imu’s past,the secrets of the Void Century, and just about everything else that the world has to offer. Fans will have to wait to see those secrets being unearthed. That said, given the pace that the Final Saga is moving at, it shouldn’t be long before this actually ends up happening. For now, fans simply need to be content with the fact that Imu is actually male and that Vegapunk knows about some of his exploits of the past and the fact thatImu intends to sink the world once again, just like he did long ago during the Void Century.
One Piece is available to read via Viz Media. The series can be read by the fans officially and for free on the Shonen Jump and theManga Plusapp. The release date for the next chapter of One Piece, One Piece 1114, is set to be July 20, 2025.
