Imu is the mysterious ruler of the One Piece world, occupying the empty throne, considered a major taboo.
One Piece doesn’t fail to introduce mysterious characters like Shanks, Mihawk, Dragon, and many more. And yet, the ruler of the world is the most confusing in the entire series.
The idea behind the creation of the World Government is to create a world where all citizens are equal. The twenty allied nations that formed the World Government have grown to 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 Imu, the ruler of the world in One Piece.
The mythological reference behind the mysterious ruler
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In Norse mythology, Imu is the name of the Jotunn, who are often contrasted with gods and other non-human figures, such as dwarves and elves. Jotunn typically live in lands separated from gods and humans.
In Germanic mythology, Jotunn is a term for supernatural beings. Imu wears a crown topped with four incredibly tall, sharp spikes, and an extremely long robe that flows along the ground.
Despite his humanoid form, Imu’s hands are extremely low, leading us to wonder whether they are small or large. Judging by the inappropriate proportions of Imu’s figure, it is highly likely that he is not an ordinary human.
Imu carries a weapon in One Piece
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Despite their high rank, the Imu carry an extremely ordinary saber. While they have yet to use it in combat, they have used it to cut up bounty posters and photographs or to stab them.
Imu appears to have a calm demeanor as they handle the butterflies in the Flower Room. However, the next second, the scene reveals images of their targets being pierced and cut by weapons.
Imu Targets Four Characters in One Piece
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Monkey D. Luffy, Shirahoshi, Nefertari Vivi, and Marshal D. Teach couldn’t be more different if they tried. However, the only thing they have in common is that they have somehow piqued Imu’s interest. However, it seems that they have different intentions towards all four of them.
They show their hostility towards Luffy, Shirahoshi, and Blackbeard by destroying their posters and pictures. On the other hand, they keep Princess Vivi’s picture close to them. However, Imu wants something from the four of them. They even carry posters or pictures of their targets while standing in front of a giant straw hat.
Imu is probably an immortal and one of the rulers from 800 years ago
Viz Media
In One Piece Chapter 1086, Ivankov speculates that Imu’s full name is Saint Imu of House Nerona, one of the leaders of the Twenty Allied Nations. Ivankov also shows Sabo a book and mentions an ability that can grant eternal youth. This is most likely the Op-Op Fruit, as it is 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 with the same name as the ruler of the world. Considering that Gorosei referred to Imu as the “creator of the world”, it is almost certain that the latter played a crucial role in the creation of the World Government.
Imu has the power to control the lives of the Gorosei
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The Gorosei have instant regeneration and do not age. In Ohara’s flashback (20 years ago) and God Valley’s flashback (38 years ago), all five look exactly the same. Additionally, their transformations are demonic, and not much is known about their summoning abilities either.
Even though Saturn was afraid of Luffy’s unprecedented powers, Luffy couldn’t do any permanent damage to him. On the other hand, Imu brutally killed Saturn from a 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, nothing was left but bones. After this feat, Imu’s powers are higher than anyone else in history so far.
The One Piece manga is heading towards the Elbaf Arc. For more on the high seas, check out our guide to the Void Century and our ranking of the strongest Straw Hats.
