Imu is the mysterious ruler in the world of One Piece, occupying the Empty Throne, which is considered a major taboo.
One Piece doesn’t fall short of introducing mysterious characters such as Shanks, Mihawk, Dragon, and so many more. And yet, the ruler of the world is the most puzzling in the entirety of the series.
The notion behind establishing the World Government is to create a world where everyone is equal. The twenty allied nations that formed the World Government became 170 over the years, further amplifying their power.
The Empty Throne represents peace and equality between nations. The false premise is that no one, not even Gorosei, can sit on the Empty Throne. Here’s what we know about the world’s sovereign Imu in One Piece.
The mythological reference behind the mysterious ruler
In Norse mythology, Imu is the name of Jotunn, who are often contrasted with gods and other non-human figures, such as dwarfs and elves. The Jotunn typically dwell across boundaries from the gods and humans in lands.
In Germanic mythology, Jotunn is a term for supernatural beings. Imu wears a crown with four sharp, incredibly tall spikes on the top and an extremely long robe flowing upon the ground.
Despite having a humanoid form, Imu’s hands are extremely low, making one wonder if they are short or tall. Judging by the inappropriate proportion of Imu’s silhouette, it’s highly likely that they are not any ordinary human.
Imu carries a weapon in One Piece
Despite their exalted station, Imu carries an extremely ordinary saber. Though they have yet to use it in battle, they have used it to cut apart bounty posters and photographs or stab them.
Imu appears to have a calm demeanor when they handle the butterflies in the Room of Flowers. However, just the next second, the scene reveals pictures of their targets pierced through and cut apart by weapons.
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Imu is targeting four characters in One Piece
Monkey D. Luffy, Shirahoshi, Nefertari Vivi, and Marshal D. Teach couldn’t be more different if they tried. However, the only common thing among them is that they have somehow piqued Imu’s interest. However, it seems they have different intentions toward all four.
They show their hostility toward Luffy, Shirahoshi, and Blackbeard by destroying their posters and photos. On the other hand, they keep Princess Vivi’s picture close to them. However, Imu wants something from all four of them. They even carry posters or photos of their targets while standing before a giant straw hat.
Imu is likely an immortal and one of the rulers from 800 years ago
In One Piece chapter 1086, Ivankov speculates that Imu’s full name is Saint Imu of House Nerona, one of the rulers of the twenty allied nations. Ivankov also shows a book to Sabo and mentions an ability that can grant eternal youth. It’s most likely the Op-Op Fruit since it’s the ability with such power.
Ivankov believes that someone in history must have used this devil fruit before. Not only Ivankov, but Nefertari Cobra also mentions one of the twenty rulers having the same name as the world’s sovereign. Considering how Gorosei referred to Imu as the “world’s creator”, it is almost certain that the latter played a crucial part in the World Government’s establishment.
Imu has the power to control the lives of Gorosei
Gorosei have instant regeneration and they don’t age. In Ohara flashback (20 years ago) and God Valley flashback (38 years ago), the five of them look exactly the same. Furthermore, their transformations are demonic, and not much is known about their summoning abilities either.
Even though Saturn was scared of Luffy’s powers being unprecedented, the latter couldn’t do permanent damage to him. On the other hand, Imu brutally killed Saturn from a remote distance. Imu was in Mariejois while Saturn was near Egghead on a ship with Vice Admirals.
Somehow, Imu was not only able to telepathically contact him but also suck the life out of the elder. Saturn was covered in black shadows and once Imu was done with him, there were only bones left. After this feat, Imu’s powers scale higher than anyone else in the story so far.
The One Piece manga is heading towards the Elbaf Arc. For more from the high seas, check out our guide on the Void Century and our ranking of the strongest Straw Hats.