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One Piece chapter 1086, the latest issue before the manga's one-month hiatus due to author Eiichiro Oda's eye surgery, contains a major revelation concerning Imu-sama, the alleged final villain of the series.
The previous installments disclosed intriguing details about the lore of One Piece and showed a glimpse of how Imu and the Five Elders fight. While chapter 1085 revealed the names of the five highest-ranked Celestial Dragons, chapter 1086 may have revealed the identity of their enigmatic leader.
Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers from the One Piece manga up to chapter 1086.
Chapter 1086 may have revealed the name of One Piece's final villain
Saint Imu of the Nerona Family
A tyrannical dictator that manipulates everything, including history itself, Imu is the true leader of the World Government. This cryptic individual, who has only been seen as an ominous silhouette with red-ringed eyes, is the true ruler of Mary Geoise's Empty Throne.
While One Piece 1086 still didn't reveal Imu's full appearance, the issue may have very well disclosed the roots and the full name of the mysterious villain. As Sabo finished recounting to Monkey D. Dragon and Emporio Ivankov what happened during the latest Reverie, the latter made an interesting remark.
Upon hearing the name "Imu", Ivankov pointed out that among the twenty kings that founded the institution now known as the World Government, there was a monarch named Saint Imu of the Nerona Family. However, the Ancient Alliance of the Twenty Kings dates back to the Void Century.
This implies that, if the assumption is correct, Nerona Imu is immortal. This is the same point addressed by Ivankov himself, who speculated that if it's common knowledge that the Ope-Ope Fruit can grant someone eternal life, it means that this power must have been used at least once in the past.
Sabo wondered if Saint Nerona Imu could really be the ominous figure that he just witnessed killing Nefertari Cobra, but Ivankov argued back that he could imagine no one else but one of the Twenty Kings having enough authority to command people like the Five Elders, the highest-ranked Celestial Dragons.
As of now, the idea that the current leader of the World Government is Saint Imu from the Nerona Family remains a speculation. Still, it's a pretty good one, and it seems hardly feasible for One Piece author Eiichiro Oda to add such a detail without it playing any role.
Either it's a massive red herring or it's a blatant foreshadowing of Imu's true identity. Admittedly, the fact that the leader of the World Government obtained perennial life seems to be a given. It's hinted that Imu has a personal acquaintance with Nefertari D. Lily, the queen of Arabasta and another member of the Ancient Alliance.
Moreover, Imu spoke of the first carriers of the initial D. as if they were people whom he personally fought during the events of the Void Century. With all these cues strongly implying that Imu directly participated in events dating back more than 800 years, it becomes self-evident that the enigmatic villain has somehow obtained eternal life.
The many coincidences around Imu's name
As noticed by renowned One Piece popularizer @Arthur - Library of Ohara, Imu's alleged name may be the key to revealing the true essence of the mysterious character. The full name "Saint Nerona Imu", if read in Japanese, directly alludes to the individual having a supernal status.
- ネロナ→神 (Ne Ro Na forms the kanji “Kami”, which means "God")
- イム→仏 (I Mu forms the kanji “Hotoke”, which means "Buddha")
Imu's godly representation is especially intriguing as those with the D. in their names, which the villain directly mentioned as the Ancient Alliance's opponents, have been described as "the natural enemies of Gods". With Imu being teased to be one of the twenty founders of the Ancient Alliance, the big picture may be clearer than ever.
Imu's name continues to give rise to speculation. If divided in "i" and "mu" it can be read in Japanese as "1" and "6" which are very symbolic numbers. Doflamingo, who is a Celestial Dragon native to the Donquixote Family, used a technique called Sixteen Holy Bullets: Divine Execution.
Other Celestial Dragons executed some civilians by shooting them sixteen times with a pistol. The tie between Celestial Dragons' executions and the number 16 becomes jaw-dropping when Imu "executes" the Kingdom of Lulusia by having a weapon of mass destruction strike the island with sixteen rays of light, vaporizing it.
For an umpteenth coincidence, the last two katakana of the weapon's name in Japanese are the same that, put together, create the name "Imu" as well as the number sixteen. It's also interesting to observe that the name "Nerona" seems based on the word "nero" which comes from the Greek-Latin theme that pervades the Five Elders.
With the five individuals being Imu's greatest subordinates, it's possible that the leader shares the same theme. In Greek, the word "nero" means "water". This immediately brings to mind the popular theory about Imu being the mother of the Sea, i.e., in Japanese, Umi.
In Latin, and thus in Italian and other languages as well, the word "nero" means "black". This is also strongly tied to Imu, who is not only always portrayed as a black silhouette but can literally transform into a dark beast-like humanoid creature with sharp teeth.
Final Thoughts
With Luffy being the second coming of Joy Boy, the Warrior of Liberation, it seems highly likely that, as One Piece's final villain, Imu will be the metaphorical opposite of such a figure. Luffy's Nika-Nika Fruit invokes the clarity of pure white, as the Sun God who creates the light of a new dawn, bringing happiness to people.
Instead, the cold and ruthless Imu is darkness embodied. The actual nature of Imu's powers is yet to be revealed, but whatever ability the former may hold, it clearly involves a negative connotation featuring elements such as oppressive thoughts, hellish blackness, nightmares, and devil-like traits.
What's for sure is that One Piece's plot is masterfully intertwined, with the major secrets of the story all being connected to each other. The recent issues of the manga have given fans significant insight, including information with regard to Imu and the Five Elders.
Still, rather than giving definitive answers, One Piece author Eiichiro Oda only raised further questions, with Imu's identity remaining an enigma. At least, with the introduction of the name "Saint Nerona Imu," fans have a solid starting point from which to speculate during the one-month hiatus.
