ONE PIECE Analysis! – Summary of Imu! Is the real name Nerona? What about Devil Fruit and Gender? (King of World) - Manga Analysis

ONE PIECE is finally approaching its conclusion. Throughout the series, numerous formidable adversaries such as the Marines and Cipher Pol have stood in the way of the protagonist, Luffy. But who will be the final boss?

This time, let’s delve into the alarming identity of “Imu.”

Table of contents

Imu: The Hidden King of the World
1. Imu is the only one allowed to sit on the Empty Throne Within Pangaea Castle
Imu’s Real Name is Nerona Imu?
Origin of the Name Nerona Imu
Imu: The Immortal King Living for Over 800 Years
1. The Living Witness to the Void Century
2. Potential Side Effects of Imu’s Immortality
Is Imu a Young Girl?
1. Nefertari Lili as a Female Friend?
2. Why Is Imu Fixated on Vivi?
Was Zunesha a Nerona Noble?
Imu’s Devil Fruit: A Mythical Zoan?
1. Is it that with the Bake Bake Fruit, they’re turning others into monsters?
2. Is it also possible that they possess multiple Devil Fruit abilities?

Imu: The Hidden King of the World

First, let’s explain who Imu is.

Imu is the “king of the world” who controls everything behind the scenes in ONE PIECE. Even the Five Elders, the highest authority among the Celestial Dragons, bow to Imu, indicating that no one in the world of ONE PIECE can defy him. Simply put, Imu is the true final boss of ONE PIECE.

As evidenced by the Five Elders asking, “Have you decided which light needs to be erased from history?” it is clear that the fate and direction of the world are determined by Imu’s whims. The Five Elders merely convey Imu’s will to the world.

Conversely, Imu never appears on the public stage. He always stays in a place called the “Room of Flowers” within Pangaea Castle. It seems that he cannot leave the Holy Land Mary Geoise. Imu’s existence is kept a closely guarded secret, and learning about him means certain death.

Imu is the only one allowed to sit on the Empty Throne Within Pangaea Castle

There is a chair known as the “Empty Throne.”

This chair is off-limits even to the Celestial Dragons, symbolizing that “there is no single king in the world.” The positions of the 20 royal families are equal, and no one is allowed to monopolize power and establish a dictatorship.

Despite this, Imu is the only one permitted to sit on the Empty Throne, making it clear that he is the “king of the world” who rules ONE PIECE from the shadows.

Additionally, in the basement of Pangaea Castle, Imu guarded a frozen straw hat with great care. Personally, I speculate that the straw hat has eaten a Devil Fruit, and it might be the source of Imu’s power.

Imu’s Real Name is Nerona Imu?

Next, let’s consider Imu’s real name.

Imu’s full name is “Nerona Imu.”

More precisely, he is Saint Imu of the Nerona family, one of the 20 royal families that defeated the Family of D during the Void Century. Although I initially thought that Imu, as the only one who could sit on the Empty Throne, surpassed the 20 royal families, his origins are essentially the same as the other Celestial Dragons.

Around the Empty Throne, 20 swords representing the 20 royal families are placed. However, a mysterious sword in the Room of Flowers where Imu resides is actually “one of those swords.” Therefore, strictly speaking, only 19 swords are around the Empty Throne.

However, given that Imu (or more precisely, the Nerona family) is the only one who can sit on the Empty Throne, it is certain that they hold a special status among the 20 royal families. The Celestial Dragons are often referred to as the creators of the world, but it might be that only Lord Imu (the Nerona family) is truly regarded as the world’s creator.

Origin of the Name Nerona Imu

The origin of the name Nerona Imu has also been revealed, and with it, the mysterious name “Imu” seems to be almost certainly derived from the kanji for “Buddha” (仏). Just as Nerona is derived from the kanji for “God” (神), where breaking down the kanji results in the katakana characters “ネ” (Ne), “ロ” (Ro), and “ナ” (Na), the name Imu appears to follow a similar pattern.

Thus, Nerona Imu embodies the concept of “God and Buddha” within the world of ONE PIECE, symbolizing an entity that stands above all others as the ultimate power.

There is also speculation that “Imu” might relate to the French term for “Buddha” (仏), aligning with themes of freedom and revolution, similar to the French Revolution. Given Luffy’s love of freedom, this parallel to the French Revolution, where commoners enjoyed newfound liberties after overthrowing feudal structures, is intriguing. If we consider Imu modeled after Louis XVI, executed post-revolution, then “Imu” could be interpreted as “1” (ichi) and “6” (mu), matching the numbers in the name Louis XVI.

Imu: The Immortal King Living for Over 800 Years

Moreover, it was revealed by Emporio Ivankov of the Revolutionary Army that Imu has been alive for over 800 years.

Ivankov mentioned a king named Imu from the Nerona family who was among the first twenty people to create the world 800 years ago. This implies Imu’s immortality, maintaining the world’s order and rules through continuous, behind-the-scenes control. The Op-Op Fruit, held by Trafalgar Law, can perform the “Perennial Youth Operation,” granting eternal life at the cost of the user’s life, suggesting Imu may have undergone this procedure over 800 years ago.

The Living Witness to the Void Century

Imu could be the direct leader of the war between the Family of D and the twenty kings during the Void Century, being a living witness and bearer of personal memories from that time. This perpetual presence helps explain the persistent anti-Family of D policies by the World Government. It’s as if a historical figure like Tokugawa Ieyasu were still alive today, maintaining control and influence.

Potential Side Effects of Imu’s Immortality

Immortality might have side effects or drawbacks. In ONE PIECE, “Buddha” (仏) also refers to corpses in police jargon. Characters like Dio in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure or Kibutsuji Muzan in Demon Slayer gain immense power but cannot walk in sunlight. Imu might be similarly afflicted, unable to expose themselves to sunlight, explaining their reclusion in the Flower Room of Pangaea Castle.

The emergence of Sun God Nika and Luffy’s transformation into Nika’s powers might hint at an inherent opposition between Imu’s immortality and the sun.

Is Imu a Young Girl?

Next, let’s consider Imu’s appearance and age. It’s plausible to think that Imu appears as a “young girl.” The benefit of immortality, beyond not dying, is not aging. Thus, it’s reasonable to assume Imu performed the immortality ritual when they were a young and vibrant 800 years ago.

Given Imu has lived for 800 years without aging, they might be depicted as quite young. If Imu looked elderly like the Five Elders, it would lack novelty and impact.

Imu’s behavior is also quite immature. The destruction of the Lulucia Kingdom was merely due to its proximity, showcasing tyrannical behavior. Imu’s speech and actions suggest a lack of psychological growth, which could also be reflected in their youthful appearance.

Another theory is that Imu could be related to the figurehead on the Ark Maxim. If Imu were a noble who came to Earth from an ancient lunar city, this might be possible, but the figurehead was recently created by Enel using gold from Jaya, making a direct connection unlikely.

Nefertari Lili as a Female Friend?

For instance, Imu seems obsessed with Nefertari Vivi. The Arabasta Kingdom was ruled by the despised Nefertari Lili, who spread Poneglyphs across the world. Despite this, Imu appears to have a favorable view of Vivi.

If the sword in Imu’s flower room belongs to the Nefertari family instead of the Nerona family, it suggests a deep affection (or friendship) towards Lili (and Vivi). If they were female friends (or perhaps master and servant?), it could explain a lot.

Imu and Lili might have been close friends who fell out during the Void Century. Despite Imu’s harsh words about Lili‘s actions, their friendship remained.

Why Is Imu Fixated on Vivi?

Seeing Vivi, who looks just like Lili, might have evoked nostalgia in Imu. Considering Vivi is 18 years old, Imu’s age might also appear to be around 20 due to their immortality.

In contrast, Imu created a hit list to eliminate “Monkey D. Luffy,” “Marshall D. Teach,” and “Princess Shirahoshi,” displaying open hostility. Since Vivi is also from the Family of D, it seems Imu’s grudge isn’t solely against the Family of D.

Imu’s obsession with Vivi could be due to Vivi’s resemblance to Lili. The covers of Volumes 21 and 22 of the Arabasta arc feature eyes that resemble Imu’s, suggesting that the idea of Imu has been around since the Arabasta arc.

Was Zunesha a Nerona Noble?

Zunesha, a character with similarly distinctive eyes, comes to mind.

This giant elephant has been wandering the seas for over 1000 years as punishment for a crime. Given the timeline before the establishment of the World Government, Zunesha might be connected to the Nerona family.

Perhaps a Nerona noble who defied Imu was transformed into Zunesha by eating a Devil Fruit. This noble’s unique eyes resemble Imu’s, and they can speak human language.

Zunesha might have been allied with the Mink Tribe and carried the Road Poneglyph entrusted by Nefertari Lili, indicating a connection with Imu despite opposing Imu’s goals.

Imu’s Devil Fruit: A Mythical Zoan?

Now, let’s consider Imu’s Devil Fruit.

The known ability involves shooting something arrow-like that pierced King Cobra’s abdomen. This suggests Imu can transform their body into a clean arrow shape.

On the other hand, while it’s difficult to imagine the specific abilities, considering that Imu was able to consume the flames of Sabo’s Flame-Flame Fruit, it’s likely that Imu’s Devil Fruit is an Animal Zoan type. In fact, the Devil Fruits of the Five Elders who serve Imu are all Animal Zoan types.

Imu might possess a Zoan-type Mythical Devil Fruit, considering the Five Elders‘ Zoan abilities. Imu’s fruit could be modeled after a god, making the arrow-like feature a tail of the mythical creature.

There was speculation about Imu having a sea-themed Logia-type ability, but this theory seems less likely now. Considering the relationship between the sea and the sun, and the fact that Devil Fruit users’ weakness is the sea, Imu’s weakness might be the sun (Nika).

Is it that with the Bake Bake Fruit, they’re turning others into monsters?

Additionally, there’s a theory that Imu has the Bake-Bake Fruit, allowing them to transform others into monsters. The Five Elders and Zunesha might have been transformed using this ability. However, the lack of other such transformed individuals raises doubts.

Given the numerous references to gods surrounding Imu, their Devil Fruit is likely related to a god. Luffy’s Devil Fruit was changed to a Zoan type to contrast with Imu, indicating Imu’s fruit might also be a new, god-modeled Human-Human Fruit.

Is it also possible that they possess multiple Devil Fruit abilities?

On the other hand, while the notion of Okama was considered earlier, if we assume they possess “two genders,” it’s also highly probable that Imu also holds the abilities of multiple Devil Fruits. Especially with Zoan types, it’s said that willpower resides within them. Could that willpower inhabit multiple genders?

At the very least, it shouldn’t be assumed that Blackbeard is the only character who possesses abilities from multiple Devil Fruits. There’s still much to speculate about Imu’s Devil Fruit abilities in this regard.