Warning: Contains spoilers for chapter #1122 of One Piece.
Summary
One Piecehas just revealed Imu’s worst fear and maybe even his only weakness, and it isn’t the Nika Fruit. Along with the shocking revelation ofJoyboy’s powerful haki, the latest chapter ofOne Piecehas also revealed an interesting detail about Imu that could be crucial down the line in the Final Saga.
Chapter #1122 ofOne Pieceteases that Imu’s biggest fear and weakness could actually be Joyboy’s Conqueror’s Haki instead of the Nika Fruit. In the chapter,Imu is seen bent over screaming and trembling in fearafter Emet unleashes Joyboy’s haki. Oddly, it is Joyboy’s haki that also causes the Five Elders to retreat from Egghead Island, either by force or out of fear like Imu.
Not only does this confirm the existence of some kind ofconnection between Imu and the Five Elders, but also possibly explains why the World Government has been lax about trying to capture Luffy and reclaim the Nika Fruit throughout the Egghead Arc.
One Piece Hints At Imu and the World Government’s Worst Fear
Joyboy’s Haki May Be Imu’s Only Weakness
In chapter #1122, the Five Elders return to Mariejois from Egghead after being hit by Joyboy’s powerful Conqueror’s Haki. It is unclear whether they were forced out of their yokai transformations and forced to return because of the haki or whether the Five Elders chose to retreat of their own volition. Interestingly, the Five Elders are seemingly huffing and out of breath upon their arrival, with the exception of Saint Mars, who is seen calmly seated in the corner of the panel.
Oddly, at that very moment,Imu is seen bent over and screamingand is revealed to be thinking about Joyboy. Imu also appears to be out of breath like the Five Elders and seems to be trembling, as indicated by the squiggly lines surrounding his silhouette. Moreover, the ‘b-bmp’ onomatopoeia indicates his heart is also racing, which put together with his other symptoms, suggests Imu is experiencing intense fear and panic.
The only possible explanation for Imu’s reaction is that he too must have felt Joyboy’s haki through the Five Elders. His intense scream hints he could have also felt some pain if he felt the haki, though the implications of his reaction are far more interesting. The most plausible explanation for why Imu fears Joyboy’s haki so much is thatit could be the only power capable of defeating him.
Experiencing it again may have even re-awakened memories of a time Joyboy almost defeated Imu during the Void Century. While these are only theories and speculation, they do help explain the Five Elders' odd behavior at Egghead so far.
The World Government’s Real Fear Explains Their Disregard Towards Luffy On Egghead
One particular detail that has struck fans as incredibly odd throughout the Egghead Arc is the Five Elders' disinterest in trying to capture Luffy and reclaim the Nika Fruit. The Five Elders have previously stated wanting to get their hands on the Nika Fruit and even claimed that they could not allow it to awaken under any circumstances.
Yet, ever since arriving at Egghead, the Five Elders have failed to prioritize capturing Luffy to instead secure the Mother Flame and eliminate Vegapunk. Instead of facing Luffy all together, the Five Elders split up for much of their time on Egghead, going after the Pacifista, the Straw Hats, and the Transmission Snail instead of focusing their combined efforts on Luffy.
This hints that maybe theFive Elders do not see Luffy as an immediate threat just yet,as his haki is nowhere close to being as strong as Joyboy’s andLuffy’s obvious struggle against the Five Eldershas proven as much. Arguably, more than any other factor, these skewed priorities are what allowed Luffy and the Nika Fruit to slip away from their grasp once again.
Overall, this proves that despite awakening his devil fruit, Luffy still has a long way to go inOne Piece. The Final Saga may still see him get even stronger as the opponents he will face ahead will only get stronger and stronger. It is all but clear that Luffy will have to face the Five Elders and Imu at some point in the final stretch of the story. However, at his current strength level, Luffy is neitherImu’s biggest fearnor does he have thekey to defeating the Five EldersandJoyboy’s hakihas proved it.
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One Piece
Created by Eiichiro Oda, One Piece is a multimedia franchise that began as a manga series and follows the adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates as led by Monkey D. Luffy. Luffy, an enthusiastic pirate with a thirst for adventure, is afflicted by a mysterious curse that gives him various powers he uses to protect himself and his friends. The manga eventually gave way to the anime series, with the two being some of history’s longest-running anime and manga series. Along with over fifty video games made over the years, the series entered the live-action world with Netflix’s 2023 adaptation.
