One Piece theory: Gorosei are shadows created by Imu

An image of Gorosei and Imu in One PieceCrunchyroll

One Piece’s Gorosei is the world’s highest authority, yet they are shrouded in several mysteries. Here’s why we believe that they are shadows created by Imu’s powers.

The ruling organization in the world of One Piece – the World Government – officially has five leaders known as Gorosei or the Five Elder Planets instead of one ruler. They are a group of five Celestial Dragons who oversee the Marines and every matter within the allied nations.

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They are also responsible for dealing with criminals that threaten the authority of the World Government. Despite being Celestial Dragons, they don’t wear the usual attire or bubbles to cover their faces. Gorosei is shown as a group of ruthless people who wouldn’t hesitate to blow up entire islands to keep certain secrets safe.

Furthermore, they have always been aware of Imu’s existence and still hide their identity from the entire world. Gorosei also respects and blindly follows Imu’s orders, even if it’s to commit mass murder. Delve deeper to find out why Gorosei in One Piece are less likely to be humans.

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What are the powers of Gorosei in One Piece?

An image of Gorosei turning into shadows

One Piece’s Reverie flashback reveals what transpires inside the Pangea Castle during Nefertari Cobra’s death. Imu reveals themself in front of the Arabasta King and conspires with Gorosei to kill him.

Sabo, who is listening to the conversation from the outside, quickly enters the room as soon as Nefertari Cobra is attacked. When that happens, he realizes that all Five Elders have transformed into giant shadowy creatures. They are also extremely strong, considering how Sabo barely manages to get out of the room alive.

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Why does this theory seem plausible?

A panel from One Piece manga chapter 1090

Gorosei in One Piece doesn’t seem human because they look exactly the same as they did in the Ohara flashback twenty years ago. Additionally, in One Piece chapter 1090, Gorosei compares human beings to insects. Although they’re arrogant, just the fact that they’re looking down on all humanity suggests there’s more to it than meets the eye. There are already several speculations regarding Imu’s immortality. Therefore, it would be too far-fetched for Oda to suddenly reveal a bunch of immortal characters for no reason.

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Another reason is their mysterious powers that seem too absurd to originate from devil fruits. They have similar powers, which seems unlikely since each devil fruit is unique. Furthermore, the shadows could mean two things – either Eiichiro Oda is refusing to reveal their appearances, or their true forms are shadows themselves.

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